Tournament of Gladiators
by InkFanatic
Summary: After Morgana's betrayal, Arthur needs to relax. So what better way to do that then to go on a hunting trip? Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple for Merlin. Captured, beaten, and exhausted, Arthur and his knights gave no idea how to get away from the arena where they are forced to fight. Meanwhile, Merlin encounters some familiar faces.
1. Aftermath

Arthur sighed, staring out his bedroom window. His father hadn't been the same since Morgana's betrayal. Though, to be fair, no one had. None of them had seen it coming. Morgana was loved by everyone. For her to turn so cold-hearted, well, it seemed impossible.

"Good morning, sire!" Merlin burst through the Prince's doors, breakfast tray in hand. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Don't you know how to knock?" The prince's servant simply grinned.

"Just trying to surprise you, sire." Merlin set the tray down on Arthur's desk, wiping his hands on his shirt. His expression grew worried when the prince said nothing, still gazing out his window. Merlin dipped his hand in the water jug, flicking little droplets at his prince.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, glaring at his servant.

"Yes, my lord?" Arthur grabbed one of the spoons off the tray, flinging it at Merlin, who quickly ducked, used to this type of thing. Merlin went to grab the spoon off the floor, keeping a wary eye on Arthur, in case he decided to throw something else at the poor manservant. "You see? Back to your normal prat-ish self." The prince scoffed, and sat at his table to eat breakfast. As Merlin gathered laundry, he hummed a small tune.

"Merlin."

"Yes?"

"Shut up." Merlin stopped for a moment, before humming a quieter tune. He quickly moved about his daily chores, leaving the prince to eat breakfast in silence. The silence was almost worse for Arthur; it allowed him to think about what had happened within the past two months. Camelot has been rebuilding, but it wouldn't be back to itself for a long time.

Merlin made his way quickly through the castle halls. Servants hustled about, carrying on with their daily tasks like they always did. But the air seemed darker, the tone was less cheerful. Lancelot brushed past Merlin, to focused in his thoughts to notice the manservant.

"Lancelot!" Merlin called out to his friend.

"Yes?" The knight glanced to see who was calling his name. "Oh, Merlin! Just who I need to see. Have you seen Prince Arthur?"

Merlin shook his head. "That's what I was going to ask you! I've been searching for him everywhere. Gaius wants to talk to him about the king." Lancelot nodded his head in understanding, stepping aside to let a maid pass.

"Well, if you see him, tell him the council wishes to talk with him about Camelot's current... situation." Lancelot bid farewell to his friend, allowing Merlin to hurry off and find Arthur. After a few moments of asking around, an idea dawned on the warlock. Quickly, he headed to the training yard, and was pleased to find the prince hacking away at the training dummies. He winced as Arthur took the head off two dummies in one side swing of the sword. The prince scoffed, kicking the dummy's head.

"Well, you certainly showed him." Arthur whipped around, nearly lopping his manservant's head off at the statement. Arthur sighed when he noticed who has spoken up.

"Merlin! What were you thinking?" Merlin shrugged. "Oh, that's right, I nearly forgot. You don't think." He opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it.

"I only came to tell you that the council wants to speak with you." Arthur scowled, stabbing the ground with his dirt. "Unless you want me to tell them you are too busy killing all the training dummies?" Merlin was cut off with a smack from the prince, who still said nothing. "So... that's a yes?"

"Merlin, clean my sword, and polish my armor. I'll be in the throne room when the council needs me." Merlin rolled his eyes, grabbing the sword out of the ground. "Oh, and Merlin?" The young warlock looked up to see a glove flying towards his face. "Don't forget to wash that too." A few of the knights could be heard snickering at the boy's misfortune.

"Right away, sire." Merlin muttered under his breath.

Merlin was making his way towards the throne room, wincing at the sound of loud voices coming from the other side of the door. Quietly, he slipped in to see that Arthur was the main cause of the near yelling. The warlock stood next to Gwen, who was listening intently to the conversation.

"What's going on?" He whispered. She turned to him slightly, keeping her eyes on Arthur.

"The council isn't too hopeful about the king's condition, and they want Arthur to step in as sovereign ruler in case he doesn't recover." Merlin winced. That explained his sour mood. "Arthur refuses, saying that Uther will get better." Gwen sighed as the prince continued to argue with the council.

"I'm not ruling yet, and that's final!" Arthur managed to silence the voices. He turned to Gaius, looking for someone to back him up. "Isn't it true that my father should recover?"

"Well, sire..." the court physician seemed hesitant.

"Come on, Gaius. Spit it out." One of the council members urged.

"The king isn't suffering from a physical illness. It's more of a mental affliction, one that only he can decide whether or not he recovers from." This caused the council to murmur amongst themselves. "But," Gaius began again, silencing their whispers. "I believe that the king can make a full recovery." Arthur nodded, satisfied.

"Thank you, Gaius." He shifted to address the council. "Now, there's nothing to worry about. Meeting adjourned." As the council began to disperse, Merlin noticed the melancholy expression that had made its way back onto the prince's face. He let out a sudden, sharp breath when Gwen elbowed him, hard.

"What was that for?" He hissed, rubbing his ribcage. That was going to leave a bruise.

"Try and cheer him up!" Gwen jerked her head in Arthur's direction.

"Me?" Merlin asked incredulously. "Why me? Why don't you go and cheer him up, give him a kiss or something- gah!" Gwen elbowed him again. "Would you stop doing that?!" The stubborn woman simply gave him a push towards Arthur. Merlin sighed, walking up to him. The prince didn't even acknowledge his servant, he simply stared at the closed doors to the throne room. Merlin cleared his throat, attempting to get the man's attention. Still Arthur paid no mind to the warlock. Merlin cleared his throat again, louder.

"If you have something wrong with your throat Merlin, talk to Gaius." Arthur muttered, sitting down on the throne. Merlin turned towards Gwen, an irritated expression on his face. He pointed at Arthur in an "now what?" gesture. Gwen simply waved her hand, mouthing for Merlin to try again. The servant rolled his eyes, shoulders drooping. He turned back to the prince.

"Sire?" Merlin started. Arthur gave a slight, noncommittal grunt in response. "I wanted to tell you... uh..." Merlin glanced around hopefully for an idea. He should've planned this ahead of time. Arthur was looking at the manservant expectantly now, waiting for him to finish.

"Yes?"

"Well, you seem down lately, so I thought- well, Gwen thought- I mean..." the prince scoffed at Merlin's stuttering. "I thought that because you seem in need of cheering up, that you and some of the knights could go on a... hunting trip?" Merlin felt like kicking himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Arthur going on a hunting trip meant that Merlin would be going on a hunting trip. The prince seemed to consider the idea for a moment, his expression brightening slightly.

"That's... actually not a bad idea! Well done, Merlin." The warlock grimaced, passing it as a smile. "Begin the necessary preparations. And don't forget to sharpen my sword before you pack it!"

"Of course, sire." Merlin bowed his head slightly, making his way out of the throne room, where he found Gwen waiting.

"Well?" She asked, her arms folded.

"He wants to go on a hunting trip." Merlin told her. She smiled.

"That's great news, Merlin!" Gwen turned, starting to leave. She paused, facing Merlin. "Thank you. I just hope that this gets him out of the slump he's been in the past two months." Merlin watched as she quickly left him.

"Oh, yes, great news." He muttered irritably. The angry servant began to make the preparations for another one of the prince's... oh-so-wonderful hunting trips. Yet another mistake made by Merlin.


	2. Hunting

"Hey, Merlin!" Gwaine called out to the boy. "Can you get me some more of that stew you made? It was fantastic." Merlin sighed, putting down his own bowl. He hadn't even gotten a bite yet. And it sounded like he wasn't going to, especially considering the other knights had begun to ask for more as well.

"And, Merlin?" Arthur's voice made the servant wince. "Once you're done, make sure you check on the horses." And there it is. More thankless chores. Not that he wasn't used to it at this point. Quickly, he spooned the remaining food into the knight's bowls, one by one, simply nodding as they thanked him.

"Well, if you all are done eating my portion of the food, I'm going to wash the dishes." The knights laughed, handing off their dirty bowls to the servant.

"Merlin, wait! You forgot to check the horses!" Merlin rolled his eyes, letting the bowls fall from his arms with a loud clank.

"Right away, sire. Would you perhaps like me to tuck you into your bedroll before I go?" Laughter from the knights echoed in the dark woods at his comment.

"I'd like you to tuck me in, Merlin." Gwaine joked, grunting as Elyan elbowed him jokingly.

"Yeah, Merlin! Why don't you tuck us all in?" Percival chimed in, triggering a whole new round of laughter. Lancelot chuckled, standing up.

"I'll help you with the horses, Merlin." The two friends walked off into the distance, the sound of laughter following them even once the knights themselves were nearly out of sight. They walked in silence, allowing Merlin to think, to reflect on the past few days. Times in Camelot had been tough for everyone, but Merlin especially. It seemed like at every turn he would have some new peril thrown at him, someone he loved taken away. Merlin felt his breath hitch at the thought of the ones he had lost. The anniversary of Freya's death was in a week. Merlin had thought he was able to put that aside, but seeing her in the puddle two months ago had reopened the wound. "-lin? Merlin?" The warlock snapped his head up, breaking away from his apparent trance by Lancelot's voice. He suddenly became aware of the tear that had begun it's decent down his face.

"I'm alright." He whispered, trying to ease his friend's worries. Lancelot looked unconvinced.

"You don't seem alright, Merlin. I've been saying your name for two minutes. I honestly thought you had somehow gone to sleep standing up." Merlin gave a small huff that could've passed for a laugh.

"I feel like I could. Arthur has practically made me do all the work on this trip." Lancelot sent him an amused glance, but it morphed back into a serious one.

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Merlin gave a slight shake of his head, but once glance at his friend said that he wasn't going to drop the subject.

"In one week, it marks the anniversary of the death of Fre-... of someone I loved." Lancelot nodded, encouraging his friend to go on. "She was amazing, Lancelot. I loved her. I loved her so much that I was going to leave Camelot to be with her. We were going to find a home with a mountains, a few fields, wildflowers, a couple of cows, and- and-" Merlin felt his breath hitch. He could practically hear Freya's voice saying it in his head. "And a lake. We were going to be happy." Lancelot looked at the ground, trying to process his friend's words.

"What happened to her?"

"She was killed." Merlin could hear his voice become sharp. "She was killed, and it wasn't even her fault. She'd been cursed to become a terrible beast at night. She attacked the knights of Camelot, and Arthur-" Merlin swallowed the lump in his throat as Lancelot watched his friend with wide eyes. "Arthur killed her. He didn't know it wasn't her fault."

"Merlin, I'm so sorry." Lancelot said gently. Merlin cleared his throat, trying to get past it.

"It's alright." He paused fiddling with his hands. "I knew I shouldn't have suggested this hunting trip." He muttered under his breath. Merlin noticed a small smile spread across Lancelot's face, the knight's expression turning slightly incredulous.

"You suggested the hunting trip?"

"Is it that hard to believe?" The two men chuckled to themselves. "Actually, it was mostly Gwen's fault." Understanding seemed to dawn on Lancelot.

"I see. Well, if Guinevere put you up to it, there was no way you were getting out of it." Merlin laughed, nodding. Lancelot glanced back at the glow of the campfire, before patting one of the horses. "Seeing how the horses are fine, we ought to back over there."

"Great." Merlin deadpanned. "Let's go back so I can do more work."

"It's not that bad, Merlin. I'm sure that Arthur will let you rest at-" Merlin lifted up his hand, cutting the knight off.

"Do you hear that?" He whispered, head tilted. Lancelot quirked an eyebrow, listening for the sound Merlin heard. They waited for a moment, but still heard nothing.

"Maybe it was one of the other knights?" Lancelot suggested quietly. Merlin shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. It sounded too feminine." The warlock continued to listen with an intent expression, but still heard nothing other than the night creatures. "Maybe you're right. It just sounded like a woman."

"Maybe it was Gwaine, then." Lancelot said with a small chuckle, earning a snort from Merlin. The two began to walk slowly back towards the campsite, still unsure of the sound's origin. "Wait!" Lancelot suddenly hissed. "I think I heard it this time." A shrill, but faint, scream had echoed through the woods. Merlin nodded, his expression nervous. They weren't the only ones who heard it. The other knights had drawn their swords, and were making their way towards Merlin and Lancelot.

"Please tell me that was one of you." Arthur demanded as they reached the others. Merlin and Lancelot both shook their heads, earning a small groan from Gwaine.

"I supposed we're going to find out what that was, then?" He muttered. Percival suddenly took off further into the woods, motioning for the other knights to follow him. More shouts could be heard now, both male and female. As the knights reached the source of the yelling, they saw a man and a woman desperately fighting off a large group of bandits. The knights took cover behind a small rise in the land, peaking over the top.

"They wear Cenred's crest." Elyan said, nodding towards the men. "They must be deserters."

"We have to help them!" Arthur said, drawing his sword. The name Cenred still caused tension to ripple through the prince. "Leon, how many do you count?" The knight stood up, quickly taking in the amount of bandits.

"I see fifteen, sire." Arthur grimaced at Sir Leon's statement.

"We've faced worse odds." Merlin pointed out. Arthur glanced back at the pair, wincing as the woman shrieked from pain. She had been cut with a sword.

"Leon, Elyan, Gwain. Head around to the other side, while Percival, Lancelot, and I attack them from this direction." The prince gestured in the directions he wanted them to go.

"What about Merlin?" Lancelot whispered hurriedly as some of the knights went to circle around. Arthur chuckled.

"Merlin?" He started. "Well, try not to die." Merlin rolled his eyes as he watched Arthur and the knights draw their swords. They quickly surrounded the bandits, waiting for Arthur's command. "Now!" He yelled, the cry echoing. The bandits jumped in surprise as the knights charged them, swords raised. Somehow, the thieves managed to collect their wits, and let out their own battle cry, running back at the knights. Merlin crept from behind the safety of the hill, keeping his eyes on the battle. Quietly, the warlock would mutter a spell, causing a bandit somewhere to drop his weapon, or to trip. A sharp cry of pain cause Merlin to whip his head towards Lancelot. One of the men had cut along the knight's arm, forcing him to drop his sword. He was helpless as his foe raised an axe, ready to bring it down on the knight of Camelot. Merlin whispered a spell, reaching out with his hand, and the bandit went flying before he even got the chance to swing.

Lancelot stared in surprise for a moment, but then his gaze connected with Merlin's, and the knight gave his friend a knowing smile. Merlin returned the grin as Lancelot grabbed his sword of the ground, charging back into battle. The warlock noticed the pair who had been attacked in the first place rushing to help their saviors in any way they could. Slowly but surely, the men fell by the knights of Camelot. As Arthur plunged his sword through the final man's back, Merlin came out into the open, walking to the people they had just saved.

"What happened?" Arthur questioned. The man reached out his hand to shake the prince's.

"Thank you, so much for your help." The woman began. "My husband and I were traveling with our cargo, when those bandits came out of nowhere." She gestured towards the now empty carts that lay just down the path. "I'm Sierra, and this is my husband, Matthew."

"I'm Arthur." The prince reached to shake her hand next. "And these knights that helped save you are: Sir Gwaine, Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Elyan, Sir Lancelot, and," Arthur gestured towards Merlin. "Merlin is the one who spent the whole battle hiding behind that hill."

"Whatever, clot pole. You were the one who told me to." Merlin scowled at the prince, who glared back with an equally irritated expression. The warlock walked over to the carts, examining them curiously. He couldn't help but feel suspicious. These carts looked an awful lot like cages. "What exactly were you carrying?" He called back. Sierra hesitated, looking unsure.

"It doesn't really matter." Matthew cut in cooly, saving his wife from having to answer. She nodded, seemingly at ease. Merlin narrowed his eyes as he watched her hand slowly travel towards the hilt of her dagger, grasping it gently. Arthur seemed to notice it to, and his own hand came to rest on the intricate hilt of his sword.

"I think it does." The prince began, his voice hard. "If you tell us what you were carrying, maybe we can help you get it back." Sierra and Matthew both shifted wearily. They were hiding something.

"There's not way you're going to get it back." Sierra finally said, breaking the heavy silence. "It took us forever to get those... supplies, and our boss will not be happy when we return empty handed."

"What supplies?" Elyan stepped forward, curious.

"Surely your leader will understand that you were attacked?" Leon said at the same time. Matthew shook his head.

"He is not a forgiving man." Matthew began. "We need to bring him something." Merlin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. This wasn't good. The knights seemed to sense it too, each of them instinctively reaching for their swords. That action didn't go unnoticed by Sierra or Matthew.

"Well, good luck to you, then." Arthur said, taking a tentative step backwards. "We'll be on our way."

"I think not." At Matthew's words, the knights drew their swords, and spells raced through Merlin's mind. Sierra threw her head back, and began to chant, her eyes flashing gold. The knights charged her but didn't make it more than a few steps before collapsing to the ground. Merlin felt his thoughts become fuzzy as the woman continued to chant, louder and louder. In the back of his head, Merlin vaguely recognized it as a very powerful sleeping spell. The knights were soon unconscious, leaving only a dazed Merlin to face the pair. Sierra stopped her chanting, and she and Matthew regarded the servant curiously.

"I don't know how you're still awake, boy." Sierra began harshly. "That spell has put some of the most powerful sorcerers in the land to sleep. Yet..." she cocked her head, looking him up and down. "Somehow, you remain awake. No matter." Merlin's brain screamed for him to act as Matthew drew a large knife from his belt. The warlock raised a shaky hand, attempting to mutter a spell. Sierra's eyes widened, then a chuckle sounded from her throat. "So you do have magic." Matthew stepped forward, raising the knife high, before bringing the hilt down onto Merlin's head, effectively knocking the boy out cold. "That will make the competition all the more interesting."

 **Hey guys! How did you like chapter two? I'm enjoying writing this story so far!**


	3. Captured

Merlin groaned, sitting up. His head throbbed and his body ached as he attempted to recall the previous events. Suddenly, it all came back in a rush.

Sierra and Matthew.

The knights had saved them from some of Cenred's men, and in turn, they had knocked out their rescuers with a spell. Merlin gasped as he noticed his surroundings for the first time. He was in a cell. The damp stone walls created a chill, and the lack of windows just added to the cold, harsh feeling. Merlin felt straw underneath him, and beneath the straw, there was more stone. The warlock turned his head, looking for the other people that had been in his company. Lancelot groaned from another corner of the cell, beginning to stir. Merlin noticed Gwaine at the wall nearest to the door. He went to move towards his friends, but was met with resistance from the shackles the kept his hands chained to the walls. Merlin craned his neck to be able to see out of the cell, but could only catch glimpses of the others. Arthur and Leon sat unconscious in the cell across from the Merlin, chained in a similar manner. Percival and Elyan couldn't be seen, but Merlin heard a familiar sounding groan from the cell next to him.

Merlin shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He took one last glance at the other knights, making sure they were still out cold, before muttering a spell directed towards his chains. His eyes flashed gold, but nothing else happened. Sighing, the warlock tried again, using a different spell. Still nothing. Merlin tried again with the others' chains, then with the doors, but to no avail. His magic was utterly useless in getting them out of there.

"Merlin?" The warlock turned his head towards the source of the voice. Lancelot had begun to stir. "Merlin, what happened?" The knight said, panic beginning to rise in his voice. Lancelot pulled at his shackles, attempting to get free.

"Don't bother." Merlin said, his tone exhausted. "I already tried everything." Lancelot's eyes widened in understanding as he settled down, waiting for the other knights to wake up.

"This is the worse hungover I've ever had." Merlin chuckled as Gwaine woke up, moaning.

"That's because you're not hungover, Gwaine." Arthur had woken up. "We've been captured." The prince glanced around, the torches providing almost no light for the prisoners. "Is everyone here?" Voices could be heard, confirming that they were, in fact, alive and present. Merlin let out a breath in relief when Elyan and Percival's voices could be heard from a cell nearby.

"Well this is a nice change of scenery." Merlin muttered.

"It's a prison cell, Merlin." Irritation laced Arthur's tone.

"I was being sarcastic."

"What happened?" Leon questioned, interrupting their bickering. He was met with confused answers. The knights had little to no memory of what had happened before they had passed out.

"When we saved Sierra and Matthew, they said they had lost their cargo." The knights settled down at the sound of Merlin's voice. "When we tried to leave them, they said that they needed to replace whatever it was that they had, and Sierra used a spell to knock all of you out."

"All of us?" Arthur said curiously. "What about you?" Merlin mentally smacked himself at the slip.

"I became drowsy, and collapsed to the ground, not fully knocked out." Merlin hurriedly came up with an excuse. "Matthew used his knife to knock me out completely."

"I wonder why the spell didn't have the same effect on you..." Gwaine began, staring at Merlin. Lancelot realized that his friend was in danger of being discovered, and quickly jumped in.

"Does anyone have any idea why we're here?" He cut in, nodding when Merlin shot him a grateful glance.

"Before I was completely unconscious, I heard Sierra say something about a competition." Percival called out from his cell.

"A competition?" Leon repeated. "What's that supposed to me-" Arthur hushed the knight when the sound of a door creaking open could be heard from the end of the cells. Footsteps echoed in the empty hall, along with a dragging sound. The knights and Merlin all waited quietly as the footsteps drew closer and louder with every passing second. Merlin heard a small gasp from Elyan before he saw why. A man dressed in armor, wearing a symbol Merlin had never seen before, was dragging a bloodied body down the hall. Merlin swallowed a gag at the sight of the mutilated man. His blood left a streak behind as he was dragged away. The knights hadn't seen such terrible wounds, from any beast. The footsteps faded, before stopping completely. The sound of keys jangling could be heard if the knights strained, then he sound of another door opening. The knights all seemed to wince as an ear splitting shriek echoed down the hall, and the horrifying sound of of bones crunching.

"Wyverns." Gwaine muttered under his breath, yet the word seemed to boom through the air, through the knights minds. If their captors had Wyverns at their disposal... they could all be in serious trouble. The footsteps of the guard coming back in their direction caused the knights to perk up. They wanted answers. Hopefully this guard would give them some.

"Hey!" Arthur called out as the guard came into view. The man simply grunted, and continued on his path. "Hey, idiot, didn't you hear me speaking to you?" That seemed to irritate the man.

"What do ya want?" He said gruffly, his voice accented oddly.

"Answers." Arthur shot back. "Where are we? Why are we here?" The man let out a loud laugh, as if Arthur's questions were stupid ones.

"The tournament of gladiators." He replied, as if it was obvious.

"Well that clears it up nicely." Merlin said, louder than he'd intended. The man's head snapped in Merlin's direction. The warlock winced at the sight of the guard's blackened smile. This was bad. The guard grabbed a set of keys from his belt, unlocking the cell door that lead to a chained Merlin. Arthur's eyes widened, and he began to yell at the guard.

"Hey, I'm still talking to you!" Arthur shouted, wanting to draw the man's attention back to himself. The cruel guard turned to face Arthur, his hideous smile still on his face.

"Oh, I know ya are. And I also know that yer trying to keep her friend out of trouble here." He drawled, patting Merlin's cheek with a calloused hand. "That must mean ya care a great deal 'bout this kid. So that's why he's gonna be the one to suffer." The guard pulled his arm back, his meaty hand clenched into a fist. Merlin shuddered, bracing himself for what was coming.

He didn't brace himself well enough.

The fist went flying, right into Merlin's stomach. The boy let out a strangled gasp as Gwaine began to yell angrily, his voice the loudest out of the knights. Elyan and Percival couldn't see what was going on, but had a pretty solid idea based on the large string of curse words that left Gwaine's mouth. Arthur was busy trying to turn the guard's attention back to himself. And the yells only became louder when the evil man pulled out a wicked looking knife from his belt. Lancelot was shaking against his shackles now, even Leon, who rarely lost his temper, had began to raise his voice. Merlin bit back the yell of pain as the blade was dragged across his cheek. Blood dropped down his cheek, trailing its way down, all the way until is soaked into the neckerchief that Merlin wore.

The guard grinned, clearly enjoying the distress he was causing. He went to cut Merlin a second time, but halted his actions when a door creaking open could be heard, silencing the knights. The sound of more footsteps once agitan echoed down the hall, this time from more than one person.

"What is going on in here?" The guard's expression morphed into one of terror, and he dropped his knife in shock. Quickly, he man attempted to grab the knife, rushing out of the cell. The source of the new voice was now able to be seen. A man, taller than all of the knights, stood there, in regal clothing, even more so expensive than Arthur's. He had shoulder length black hair, that seemed to cling to his head, as if he hadn't washed his hair in years. The man was clean shaven, and looked as if he could have easily fought all of the knights with the large scythe type weapon that was held in his hand. But the most terrifying thing to Merlin was his eyes. They were completely black. No pupil, no white, nothing. Just black. "I said," he began again, his voice holding a million unspoken threats. "What is going on in here?"

"Sir, I was just talking to the prisoners, they were causing a ruckus and-" the scarily large man waved his hand almost lazily, silencing the guard's shaking voice.

"Ah, I see. So, instead of ignoring them, and reporting to me that they had woken up, like you had been ordered to," his black eyes narrowed, "you decided to take it upon yourself to torture one of them?" The guard took a step back, shaking uncontrollably. Merlin and the knights marveled at the fear this man struck in the heart of his guard. Merlin could feel an intense power radiating off of him, a power unlike he had ever felt before. It was rare that a person contained so much magic that Merlin could actually feel it, yet it seemed to practically push on the warlock, suffocation him.

"I'm so sorry sir!" The guard fell to his hands and knees, begging. "Please, sir, it won't happened again, I swear it!"

"Hmm. No, it most certainly won't." The black eyed man waved his hand, motioning for the guard to get up. The guard was practically in tears from the relief.

"Thank you! Thank you, sir! I promise, You will not regret- " his voice turned into a wet gargling. The knights couldn't help but feel terror radiate through them. They hadn't even seen he man move, yet in a blur, the scythe's blade was through the man's chest, and out his back.

"You will not do it again, because you will not have the chance to." The man said evenly. He pulled the blade smoothly out from his chest, blood smearing it. With a wave of his hand, the blood disappeared from the man's weapon. "Sierra?" The woman stepped out from behind him, clearly disturbed by the events that had occurred.

"Yes, Master?"

"Make sure his body is disposed of quickly." She nodded. "And..." the man turned his attention to the knights that were in the cells. "Tell me about my new toys."

"They are knights of Camelot, sir. And this one," she gestured to Arthur. "Is the prince. They are all skilled fighters, my lord." The man focused his cold gaze on Merlin.

"What of that one?" Sierra followed her master's pointing finger.

"He is the prince's servant, sir."

"Then why have you brought such a useless body to me?" Sierra visibly gulped.

"When I cast the spell to knock the knights out, he managed to stay awake. He was stunned, but still awake, sir." The man raised an eyebrow, clearly curious.

"I thought no man could resist your spell? Even I cannot, unless I am given the proper preparation time." Merlin furrowed his brow in worry. A few more words and his secret could be revealed.

"I don't know, my lord. That is why we thought best to bring him to you." The man smiled.

"Well done, Sierra. You and Matthew can collect your pay tonight, once the first matches are over." The woman bowed, giving one last weary glance towards Merlin, before leaving. The silence was thick, the man simply waiting to see who would dare to speak first.

"Who are you?" Arthur finally found the courage to ask.

"I am Thane, leader of the Phoenix."

"Why are we here?" It was a Elyan this time.

"You are to compete as gladiators in my tournament, young knight. You will each be given a chance to prove yourselves against both beast and man alike." Worry crept through Merlin. There was no possible way that this would end well.

"If we are to compete through fighting, then let my servant go." Arthur pleaded. "He cannot fight, he will be of no entertainment value." Thane smiled.

"I believe that everyone should get a chance to prove themselves in the arena!" He said, clasping his hands together. "Who know, the boy might be a welcome surprise. At least, if anything, he will make good Wyvern food. Maybe the beasts will be less hungry when they face you." Gwaine let out a growl in anger. Arthur clenched his jaw, wishing he could get Merlin released. In his mind, Merlin was going to be the first one to be killed. "The fights start now, actually." The man swept his gaze over the knights, who remained stony faces. "Any volunteers? No?" He chuckled, settling his gaze on Merlin. "Then perhaps I'll pick one of you."

"No!" Gwaine and Lancelot shouted at the same time.

"I'll fight for you." Gwaine said quietly, his voice holding a dangerous edge. Merlin began to protest, but was cut off with a sharp look from his friend. Thane nodded once, motioning for two guards to come get him.

"Very well. Fight bravely, knight of Camelot. Or you will die."

 **Hey y'all! What did you think of this chapter?**

 **Will the knights be able to escape this deadly tournament?**

 **Who is this "Thane", and how is he so powerful?**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	4. Arena

The knights of Camelot waited nervously in their cells, worried for their friend. Merlin was cursing himself for letting Gwaine go instead of himself. Lancelot had done his best to reassure Merlin, but couldn't speak very freely with the other knights sitting in earshot. The sound of a crowd cheering and booing could be heard faintly, almost as if it was coming from above them.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Merlin said, staring at the wall in front of him.

"If anyone is going to survive a fight, it's Gwaine." Arthur replied, trying to force hope on his words. "After all, he's been in a million of them." Percival attempted a sympathetic laugh at Arthur's poor joke, but could only mange a scoffing sound. Gwaine was the main focus on Merlin's mind, but the next thought that always seemed to come back was "food". None of the knights had eaten since they left their campsite. So at least one day since they'd eaten last. Merlin pushed aside all thoughts of food or water, focusing on his friend. Because he had opened his big mouth, Gwaine was in danger. Again.

"I hear someone coming!" Elyan suddenly hissed, all the knights turning as much as their shackles would allow to see who was coming through the doors. The could hear the door creak open, the sound of multiple men evident. Merlin practically shook with relief when Gwaine stumbled forward, and was shoved into the cell by a guard.

"Are you alright?" Merlin whispered, concern lacing every word.

"You should see the other guy." Gwaine said between groans. Merlin strained to asses the knights injuries. The ones he could see would heal, leaving only small scars.

"Speaking of the other guy..." Leon muttered. Merlin's head shot up, noticing the guards dragging a body in the direction of the Wyvern doors.

"No..." Merlin said, his voice quiet. The opponent was only a teen. A Druid girl. She hadn't deserved to die, but because of this blasted tournament, Gwaine had been forced to kill an innocent girl.

"Merlin, I'm sorry, mate." Gwaine attempted to soothe his distraught friend in some way. "I didn't want to kill her, but it was either me or her." Merlin clenched his jaw, nodding. The knights couldn't understand why he was upset. The druids were Merlin's people, in a sense. They didn't mean anyone harm.

Merlin was forced out of his thoughts by the shrieks of Wyverns, and the horrible sound of flesh being torn. He closed his eyes, focusing on anything else.

"It's time for the next for the next competitor." One of the guard's stated, unlocking the cell doors. "Master Thane has requested that I take all of you up to the box, except for the servant boy." The knights voices protested as they were grabbed harshly by the guards, to be lead out, and the voices grew louder when one of the guards grabbed Merlin, and began to take him down a different hall.

"Where are you taking him?" Arthur demanded. The guards remained silent as he held on to the thrashing prisoner. Merlin shook with all his might against the guard that held him, but was ineffective. The men had left their captives shackled, which prevented Merlin from using his magic. The shouts of his friends grew distant as Merlin was taken.

"Where did you have them take Merlin?!" Those were the first words out Arthur's mouth when they reached Thane's "box". The box was a large balcony that overlooked an arena, allowing those who sat in it to see all that went on both in the crowds, and in the arena.

The arena itself was nearly as large as the citadel in Camelot, and, when the sun hit it at the right angle, a golden orb seemed to shimmer around it, closing off the arena to any outside forces, and keeping its gladiators in. It was clearly magic at work. Thane gave a dismissal wave of his hand, before taking a seat at an ornately carved throne. Arthur had to admit, the craftsmanship was exquisite. The throne was a bleached white, and ornate runes were carved into nearly every inch of the material.

"Greetings!" A voice boomed in the arena and its stands. The knights all looked to see another box, though less fancy, at the opposite end of the arena. A woman was standing in it, wearing the most ridiculous outfit the knights of Camelot had ever seen. "Greetings to all! Are you ready to see a fight to go down in history?" The crowd roared, demanding to see their favorite champions. Names flew through the air, though one was most prominent.

The Death Cat.

That seemed to be the spectators main focus. Arthur glanced at the others warily. Nothing named "The Death Cat" could be good. The announcer motioned for the crowd to quiet down, and after a few moments, the arena was settled into a tense silence.

"We will not be having our favorite champion join us quite yet, I'm afraid." A few drunken "boos" came from the crowd, but the woman brushed them off. "But instead, we have some new competitors!" That seemed to excite them again. "Please greet our new gladiators with a traditional welcome!" The knights watched in horror as a massive man stepped out, armed with the largest battle axe they had ever seen. But that wasn't the worst part. It was who he was fighting.

* * *

Merlin was dragged roughly down the halls by Thane's men. He dug his heels into the ground, hoping to slow them, but to no avail. Merlin hadn't felt so helpless in a long time. He shackles that banged against his wrist somehow prevented him from using magic to get free. Even if he managed to take put all the guards, the shackles would prove difficult to remove.

"Where are you taking me?" Merlin said after a moment. He might as well know what to expect, if not anything else.

"You need to be prepped." The warlock raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. The guard kept walking, not interested in giving him one. After what seemed like an eternity of being dragged around by rough hands, they reached a large pair of doors, even larger than the ones that opened to the throne room back in Camelot. The doors swung open, revealing an array of weapons and armor. Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder, then was sent spiraling forward into the room. Somehow, he managed to catch himself from falling, before turning to give the guard a dirty look.

"Pick your weapon and the armor that best suits you." The guard said, not showing any remorse.

"No, he's not normal." The second guard cut in.

"Thanks." Merlin muttered, avoiding the guard's glare.

"What I mean, was he only gets a weapon." The first guards expression changed from his usual scowl to one of shock.

"Surely you can't be serious?" He said incredulously. "He won't stand a chance!" Merlin didn't like what those words implied. The second guard shrugged indifferently.

"Thane's orders. He only gets one weapon." The first guard seemed to recover from his shock, but still seemed displeased at the treatment Merlin was receiving. The man walked forward, expectantly waiting for Merlin to pick a weapon. The warlock scanned each item, debating the pros and cons of each item. To Merlin, the cons were all the same.

He couldn't fight with a weapon.

Shrugging, Merlin decided on a broadsword that hung on one of the racks to the wall farthest from him. When he reached to grab it, Merlin curled his lip in disgust at the blood that flecked the blade. He forced himself to shake it off, grasping the hilt firmly. He gave the guards a small nod, and they began to move him to the other side of the room where another set of doors lay, though these ones were smaller. The doors creaked open, revealing a small, dark room ahead. The guard gave him another forceful push, and this time, Merlin didn't catch himself. The man who had said he didn't get armor snickered, turning to walk away.

"Wait!" The other one said, pointing at Merlin's shackles. "At least remove these." With a snort, the cruel guard tossed a set of keys towards the one who seemed more merciful.

"Do it yourself." The guard walked over to Merlin, a look of pity on his face. Quickly, he unlocked the shackles, and Merlin rubbed his raw wrists. The guard began to stand up, but froze, glancing back at his comrade, who had no interest in what was going on.

"Listen," he started, grasping the warlock's forearms. "You're about to fight a man much larger than yourself. He's chosen a battle axe, and he's strong. But he's also very slow, and extremely inexperienced. You need to get behind him, and land the killing blow." The guard outside the doors cleared his throat, clearly irritated. "Good luck, kid." Merlin nodded, surprised.

"Thank you." He whispered back. The guard bolted out of the room, and Merlin watched as the doors closed, plunging the room into darkness. He picked himself up off the ground, holding the sword tightly in his hands. In front of him, a gate slowly opened, causing Merlin to squint as sunlight streamed through. Loud cheering rang in Merlin's ears, but was drowned out by the pounding of his heart. The young warlock took a deep breath, and mustering every bit of courage he's ever had, stepped outside.

 **Hey guys! I hope your liking this story! For the arena, I kind of imagine the "Grand Master" arena from Thor: Ragnarok, but on a much smaller scale. I hope that helps y'all picture it in your head.**

 **Peace out,**

 **-InkFanatic**


	5. Battle

"Merlin?!" Arthur's shout rang out as the second fighter stepped out. The servant was armed only with a single sword, and not a stitch of armor covered his body. The knights watched, horrified as he stepped out in the arena, towards his opponent. The crowd booed, most of them calling out that this wouldn't be a fight at all.

"Why is Merlin fighting?" Lancelot demanded. Thane turned to face his prisoners, not getting up from his throne, and a small smile crossed his face. "He's never trained, do you really think he will survive this?"

"Probably not." Thane said thoughtfully. "But a little bit of bloodshed always gets the crowd going." His smile curled upward as the knights struggled against their chains, fearing that they were going to lose their friend right before their eyes. Arthur, however, regarding Lancelot carefully. He was acting off. But the prince's attention snapped back to the arena as the female announcer yelled for the fight to start.

Merlin stared at his opponent, eyes wide with fear. His first thought had been that he could use magic to get out of this, but the sight of Arthur and the knights was making him second guess that plan. Time to improvise.

"Please, you don't have to do this." Maybe begging wasn't the bravest action, but it was all Merlin had. "Is Thane forcing you to do this?" The warlock tried to reason with the man, but only watched as he raised his axe high, prepared to bring it down on the boy. Merlin gasped, his instincts screaming for him to run. He dove to the side just as the blade crashed into the ground. As the large man tried to heft his axe back into the air, Merlin did the only sensible thing that came to mind.

He ran.

Merlin sprinted in the direction of where he entered, hoping to find safety. But the gates had been closed, leaving Merlin without an escape route. Any sense of hope he'd had seemed to shrivel up and die in that moment.

"Face me, coward!" The man yelled angrily. He charged Merlin again, axe raised. Quietly. Merlin whispered a spell, causing him to trip, and giving the warlock a few precious seconds to put space between himself and the barbarian.

"No thanks!" Merlin yelled back, moving away from yet another axe swing. The warlock had been pressed up against the wall, and the axe had been swung right into it. With a few whispered words, Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and the man's axe was stuck fast. He grunted, trying to pull it free. The guard's above from earlier echoed in Merlin's head. Steeling himself, he sped behind the man, sword raised high, ready to thrust it into his opponent's back.

The crowd went silent as this young man seemed to be going on for the killing blow. But at the very last second, Merlin deviated the sword from its path, sending it into the man's leg. The man howled in pain, swinging his fist blindly behind him, but froze when the cold steel of Merlin's sword touched his neck.

"I don't want to kill you." Merlin said, loudly enough for the crowd to hear. They began to voice their displeasure, causing the announcer to become irritated. The knights were wide eyed at the fact that Merlin was still alive, but Arthur groaned at his foolishness. His opponent would not share the same sentiment as soon as the sword left his neck. "If you surrender, I will spare you." The man snarled angrily, but nodded. Merlin sighed in relief, panting from exhaustion. However, the sense of relief did not last long. The crowd began to chant for one of them to die as a few of Thane's men filed into the arena, restraining the fighters. The woman in the announcing box faces the angry crowd,

"Shall we spare the lives of these cowards?" A booming chorus of "NO" echoed. The woman waited for the shouts to stop. "Master Thane, what would have us do with these cowards who refused to finish the battle?" Thane stood from his throne, and the crowd fell into complete and heavy silence.

"Kill the one who lost." Merlin gagged when the body of his opponent fell to the ground beside him, now headless.

"And what of the winner?" The woman's voice drowned out the cheering crowd. Thane regarded Merlin carefully, then the knights who stood behind him.

"You will see him fight again." Thane promised the spectators.

 **Heeyyyyyy, short chapter. Sorry guys. So, I've decided, imagine the arena to be the length of about half a football field, (maybe just a little bit over.) I hope you liked this chapter.**

 **It seems like Thane has some interesting motives for keeping Merlin alive, huh? And what's up with him having the knights watch Merlin's fights?**

 **Thanks for reading! Please vote!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	6. Escape

Merlin hissed as he leaned against the cell wall, his bruised body protesting every moment. Arthur paced in the cell across from them, deep in thought. When Thane's men had forced them back into their cells, at least they hadn't been shackled back to the wall. A sudden shout from Elyan and Percival made the knights jump. Merlin and Lancelot rushed to the bars of their cell door, trying to see what was going on. They managed to just barely catch a glimpse of Elyan being dragged away, most likely to his next fight. Arthur was fuming at his inability to help his knights. Merlin flinched when the prince let out a frustrated scream, kicking the wall.

"Three days!" He shouted. "Three days of sitting in these cells, hoping that we don't get taken away!" Arthur sighed, leaning against the wall. Almost all of the knights had fought in the arena; only Arthur and Percival had yet to be forced to fight. Gwaine had almost completely healed from the injuries from his first fight, and luckily, none of the knights who fought had been seriously hurt.

"So much for a relaxing hunting trip." Gwaine grumbled.

"It's what I get for taking a suggestion from Merlin." Arthur said, earning a glare from his manservant.

"I was just trying to get your mind off your father, you prat." Merlin replied indignantly. "It's not my fault we got captured." Arthur chuckled humorlessly.

"We ought to just not go on any more hunting trips." Percival's voice came from his cell. "That's when things seem to go wrong for us."

"I say we get out of here the next chance we get." Gwaine cut in. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired of sitting here waiting to get taken." The knight pulled himself off the floor, groaning.

"Even if we get out of these blasted cells, what do you suggest we do?" Lancelot pointed out. Gwaine shrugged. "Exactly. Thane, whoever he is, has us vastly outnumbered." Merlin sat there, listening while his friends bickered.

"Merlin?" Arthur's voice broke through the squabble. "You're being unusually quiet." Merlin gave him a small grunt in response. "Merlin."

"What?" Merlin snapped, looking up to glare at the prince. Arthur held his hands up in mock surrender at the manservant's outburst.

"I just wanted to know what's wrong with you." Merlin didn't reply, instead he stared at the cell wall across from him, thinking. Thane clearly had to have some sort of endgame, some sort of purpose to this tournament. The knights believed he was just in it for the money... but, Merlin suspected he had even more sinister motives. The warlock began to compile a list of possible reasons in his mind in an attempt to figure out what was going on. Merlin was so deep in thought that he had no idea what the knights were saying until he caught his name in the conversation.

"-and then we set Merlin on fire, providing a distraction so we can escape." Merlin's head whipped towards Arthur's direction. The prince was grinning at his servant's reaction. "I'm joking." Merlin shot another glare at Arthur. "What is going on with you, Merlin?"

"You'll have to forgive me , sire, if I'm not too cheerful about our current situation." He mumbled in response. Arthur simply quirked an eyebrow, wanting Merlin to explain further. "I just can't help but feel like Thane has something bigger planned. Everything about this place seems... off."

Gwaine chuckled, reaching to clap his friend on the shoulder. "Well, that's why we're getting out of here." Merlin glanced up, confused. Had they really come up with an escape plan already?

Leon shushed Gwaine. "Someone's coming!" The knights of Camelot scrambled to their feet, and rushed to their cell doors. The sound of keys jangling could be heard, the the door creaking open. Two guards entered, dragging a bloodied body.

Merlin's eyes widened in recognition. "Elyan!" He hissed. The knights stared, gaping at the mangled form of their friend. One guard turned to stand at the door, keeping is slightly ajar, while the other pulled Elyan's body along.

"Is he still alive?" Percival asked the guards. There wasn't much hope in his voice.

"Barely." All the knights visibly relaxed at the man's gruff reply. "Thane says you're to take care of him."

"How are we supposed to help him?" Lancelot demanded. "We have no supplies, not even water!" The guard ignored him, opening up Percival's cell.

"Wait!" Arthur told the guard. The man turned to the prince. "At least put him in Merlin's cell." Arthur pointed so he knew which cell he was talking about. "Merlin knows more than any of the rest of us would about helping an injured person." The guard seemed to debate for a moment, before sighing.

"Fine." He gestured to the other prisoners in the cell. "Up against the wall. I don't want any trouble." The man pulled a pair of keys off of his belt, unlocking the cell. Merlin stared at the set of keys, feeling conflicted. The guard dropped Elyan on the floor, who groaned as hit the ground with a thud. As the guard turned to walk out of the cell, Merlin made up his mind.

"Wait, please." Merlin grabbed the man's arm. "I need some water to help me clean his wounds." The guard stared at the hand on his forearm, his expression turning furious. In a fit of anger, he swung his fist, connecting with Merlin's jaw. The knights watched at Merlin fell to the ground, limp. What they didn't see was Merlin's eyes flashing gold just before the man's fist had hit him. Gwaine growled, lunging for the guard, but the guard slammed the cell door shut, blocking the knight's path. Merlin remained on the ground, seemingly unconscious as the guards laughed at the prisoners, before leaving the dungeon.

As the door to the dungeon closed with a bang, Lancelot scrambled over to his friend, who was still lying there.

"Merlin!" He hissed, shaking the manservant. "Merlin, wake up!" Merlin peaked open one eye, grinning.

"Are they gone?" He stage whispered. Lancelot seemed to visibly relax.

"What were you thinking, Merlin?" Arthur demanded. "You're lucky you only got punched!" Merlin's grin grew wider as he held up a set of keys from behind his back.

"I was thinking, that we could get out of here." The knights felt like cheering at their friend's statement.

"Merlin, you're a genius!" Leon exclaimed, standing up.

"Do you hear that, Arthur?" Merlin asked the prince. "I'm a genius!" Arthur rolled his eyes, but a small smile could be seen making its way across his lips.

"Since when could you pick pockets?" Gwaine asked, grabbing the keys from Merlin. He began to unlock the door as Merlin shrugged in response.

"I have many talents you don't know about." Lancelot grinned at irony in the warlock's statement. Within a short moment, the knights of Camelot were out of their cells, practically leaping for joy at the chance of escape.

"Merlin, will Elyan be alright to be carried?" Percival asked, bending over his unconscious friend. Merlin rushed over, examining the knight.

"He should be fine, as long as you don't jostle him too much." Merlin warned. Percival nodded, carefully picking up Elyan, placing him over his shoulder. Quickly the knights opened the door to the dungeon, only to be met by two guards on the outside. Arthur and Leon both swung at the guards, effectively knocking them out cold. Arthur unsheathed the swords in their unconscious forms, handing one to Leon, and holding on to the other.

The knights made their way down the maze of hallways, trying to find an exit. Cheering could be heard distantly, signifying that a fight was going on in the arena. The group of escapees knew that as long as they could hear cheering, that meant there was less of a chance in getting caught. Arthur lead them through, before coming to a corner. He held up his hand, telling the knights to stay still. The prince glanced around the corner, hissing as he noticed a group of Thane's men marching in their direction.

"They outnumber us, and they are all armed." The knights expressions dropped, any hope leaving their face. Only two of them were armed. There was no way they would win that fight. Merlin sighed, making a decision. Lancelot's eyes widened as he recognized that look of resolve on his friend's face.

"Merlin, don't..." he began. Merlin gave the worried knight a careless grin, though it couldn't hide the look of fear on his face.

"I have to." And with that reply, Merlin took of running towards the group of men that was coming straight towards them. Arthur reached out, attempting stop his servant, but failed. Merlin was surprisingly quick. They knights were horrified as Merlin barreled through the group of men, their shouts of surprise echoing down the halls. He miraculously managed to get past them, running down one of the halls, out of the knights range of sight. The men stood there, stunned for a moment, before chasing after the warlock, shouting for him to halt.

Gwaine stared at the spot where his friend was just a second ago. "We have to go after him!"

Leon shook his head. "Look, I'm as unhappy about it as you are. But we have to get Elyan out of here." Gwaine sputtered for a moment, before Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Gwaine." He began, the look of pain on his face evident. "But if we get back to Camelot, we can bring as many reinforcements as we need. We will come back for Merlin, but we don't stand a chance at rescuing him right now." Gwaine calmed down slightly, but was clearly still furious. Lancelot gave the knight a sympathetic look. If he could single handedly go charging out and save Merlin, he would do it in a heartbeat. But Merlin could take care of himself. He'd seen Merlin save his own life and the life of many others in the time he'd known the warlock.

If Thane's men thought Merlin was going to be any easy catch, they were in for the surprise of their life.

* * *

Merlin sprinted down the stone floor of the hall, the clanging of the running guards armor behind him. Merlin knew all he had to do was turn around and flick his hand to stop the guards, but he couldn't risk Arthur seeing, just in case the prince had followed. His breathing became labored and his heart pounded as he began to grow tired. Now sure that he hadn't been followed, Merlin came to a halt, and faced the surprised men. They drew their weapons, and began to close in on Merlin.

With a small smirk, Merlin raised his hand, pointing at the guards. His blue eyes flashed gold, and the men went flying, landing on the floor with a thud. Not a single one of them stirred once they hit the ground. Merlin smiled, before taking off running back in the direction of where he left Arthur. He ran at an even pace, determined to get back to the prince. He had begun to think he was off the hook, until footsteps could be heard behind him. Before Merlin could even turn around, stars exploded in his vision, and he collapsed.

As his world faded to darkness, Merlin looked up to see the familiar face of Matthew, standing over him with a malicious grin.

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It looked like Merlin was gonna make it out, huh?**

 **Ha! You thought!**

 **Anyway sorry if any part of this is crappy. I'm running on only coffee at this point. Please let me know if you see any typos!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	7. Camelot

Guinevere sighed, staring out the window. She shifted the basket of laundry in her hands, her gaze remaining on the castle courtyard below, as if staring at it would make Arthur come riding in.

"Are you alright?" Gwen jumped at the sound of the voice, whirling around to face the source of it. She sighed in relief as she recognized the figure standing before her.

"Gaius." She breathed. He chuckled at her shocked expression.

"I apologize for scaring you." Gwen nodded in response, her eyes trailing back to the courtyard. Gaius seemed to understand. "I'm worried about them too." He said gently,

"They were supposed to be back three days ago, Gaius! What if they got hurt? What if they're dead somewhere, and we don't even know!" Gwen burst out, unable to contain her worries. Gaius placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It is very possible that they were caught up in something not at all dangerous. They could ride in at any minute for all we know." Gaius' voice was calming, but his expression betrayed his thoughts. He was worried about Merlin. Extremely worried. Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of a commotion down in the courtyard.

Daring to hope, she stared down, wishing Arthur to ride through. She imagined that she would run down to him as he dismounted his horse, and he would grab her around the waist and embrace her, before she would pull him into a kiss-

The person riding into the courtyard was not Arthur. Instead, it was a dark haired man whom she had never seen before. Gwen's shoulders sagged as the man dismounted his horse, and entered the castle, out of the woman's line of sight.

"Gaius," she turned to the court physician. "Who was that?" Gaius hesitated, thinking for a short moment.

"I believe it was Agravaine." Gwen's confused look remained, waiting for an explanation. "He is Prince Arthur's uncle. Ygriane's brother. The council must have summoned him here."

"But why would they-" she began, but stopped, understanding dawning on her. "Oh... they summoned him in case Arthur doesn't return." Gwen's voice was nearly a whisper. She glanced at Gaius, his expression confirming her fears.

"I'm afraid so. With the king in his condition, they need to take... necessary precautions." Gwen's grip on the laundry basket tightened, worry making her feel sick.

"Please be alright, Arthur." She whispered, fear and worry rising in her. Arthur had to return.

For Camelot.

 _For her_.

 **Okay, yeah, I know it's short. But it was mostly a filler chapter anyway. I felt like it was necessary to show what's going on in Camelot. Ugh I'm so tired right now. I mean, I'm always tired, but now I'm like, double tired.**


	8. Doubt

Merlin groaned, reaching up to his head, gently touching the throbbing spot just above his neck. He hissed in pain, bringing his fingers in front of his face, where he could see the red staining them. He was bleeding. Great.

As his vision cleared, the first thing Merlin noticed was that he was in the most ornate room he'd ever been in.

The second thing he noticed, was that Thane was sitting in a large chair right in front of him. Merlin muttered a curse, scrambling to his feet.

"What do you want with me?" He questioned, while Thane sat there calmly. He watched as Thane leaned forward, lazily rising to his feet. He strolled over to a small window that overlooked the arena.

"I want to make you suffer, boy." The way Thane said it made it seem as if he was simply announcing he wanted to eat pork for lunch today, instead of declaring he was going to hurt someone.

Merlin swallowed the lump in his throat. "Why? We've never met, I've never done anything to you." Thane chuckled dryly.

"It's not what you did to me, Merlin. It's what you did to my teacher." Merlin raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the man's words meant. "Perhaps you remember her. You murdered her on the Isle of the Blessed." Merlin's eyes widened. "Yes, Merlin. I know that you killed Nimueh. She was my teacher, ever since I was a boy."

"But, I didn't kill her! How could a simple servant kill a powerful sorceress?" Merlin stuttered over his words, trying to keep his secret safe. The look on Thane's face said he didn't believe a word that left Merlin's mouth.

"You know good and well that you are perfectly capable of doing many things, sorcerer. I don't know how you became powerful enough to destroy Nimueh, but I assure you, I will not be so easy to dispose of." Merlin resisted the urge to sigh in relief. As much as he was horrified about what this strange man knew, Thane didn't know the extent of Merlin or his destiny. "You know," Thane began with a small chuckle, "when I first saw you and the knights of Camelot, I had no idea who you were. You were only here as a gladiator, to participate in my tournament. But I could sense something about you. I could sense Nimueh's blood on your hands. I could sense the magic in you that you killed her with.

"Fine." Merlin began hesitantly. "Let's say I am a sorcerer. Why keep me alive? Why make me fight?"

"Like I said before, I want you to suffer at my hand. To know pain." Thane moved back to his chair, sitting in it. "And," he began, waving his hand. "I know just how to do that." A golden glow flashed as Thane muttered a spell, the golden light forming into a sphere that hovered in front of Merlin. "I bet you were hoping that you could save your friends, weren't you?" Merlin gasped as an image appeared in the orb, revealing first a disheveled Arthur, then the rest of the knights, held in the cells.

"No..." Merlin said quietly. The escape plan had failed. He had failed. "No, let them go! It's me you want, Thane, they shouldn't have to suffer because of me!" Thane simply smiled, his black eyes crinkling in the corners.

"Oh, but I'm afraid they do have to suffer." He began, his filled with mock pity. "Because when they suffer, you suffer." Thane paused, gauging Merlin's reaction. He was furious. Merlin raised his hand, prepared to end Thane then and there. "Ah, ah, ah, sorcerer. I've ordered every single person in my palace to end your little friends if you lay a single hand on me."

Merlin clenched his jaw, his hand dropping back to his side. "Then what do you want?" He growled.

Thane nodded in satisfaction. "That's better. Magic is... illegal in Camelot, is it not?" Merlin said nothing, dropping his gaze to the floor. Thane chuckled. "Thats what I thought, Imagine Prince Arthur's horror when he finds out that his precious manservant practices sorcery!"

"You wouldn't dare tell him."

"Oh, no, I would never tell him. But..." Thane glanced back out his window towards the arena. "If you were to be in mortal danger, you would have no choice but to use magic to save yourself, would you not?" Merlin's nostrils flared as he attempted to contain his anger. "You will fight for me, Merlin. And you will be forced to use your magic at some point or another. I will personally make sure of that."

* * *

The knights of Camelot stared in horror as Merlin was dragged into the dungeon. They had held some hope that he'd escaped when they were unable to. The guards pulled him his old cell; but unlike the knights, who were allowed to roam around in their cells, Merlin was shackled back onto the wall. Merlin groaned, his head still pounding from the blow Matthew had given him to knock him out. The guards laughed as they left the dungeon.

"What happened to you, Merlin?" Lancelot asked. He was still in the same cell as Merlin, though Gwaine had been moved to share one with Arthur now. Elyan was propped sitting against the wall of Merlin's shared cell, now conscious. Percival and Leon must be in the one Merlin couldn't see.

"I-" Merlin gulped, not knowing how much he should say. "I managed to outrun the guards, and was on my way back to all of you. Then, Matthew- the man who brought us here- managed to sneak up behind me, and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in Thane's room. He- he questioned me, then had the guards bring me back here."

Arthur gave Merlin a confused look. "Why would he question you?" Merlin's glance darted around the cell, as if he was searching for something. His gaze landed on Lancelot, silently pleading for help.

"Perhaps he thought Merlin would be the easiest to get answers out of." Lancelot suggested, picking up on his friend's desperation. "Since he's just a servant, and not a trained knight." Merlin let out a small breath in relief as Arthur seemed to agree.

"What did he question you about, Merlin?" Leon asked from his cell.

"Just about Camelot. And if anyone would know where we are." Merlin said hurriedly. "How did you get captured?" He asked, attempting to change the subject.

"We walked right into a trap." Arthur answered, a disgusted look spreading across his face. "A large group of warriors were waiting for us when we neared the exit. Somehow, they knew that we'd escaped." Merlin groaned, leaning his head back against the wall.

"I saw Thane use some sort of spell while he was questioning me. He created this orb that allowed him to see you."

Gwaine let out a curse. "Of course it's some sort of blasted sorcerer we're dealing with." Merlin winced at the look of malice on the knights faces, especially on Arthur's. Lancelot seemed to be the only one without an expression of pure hatred. Marlin leaned his head down, attempting to stretch his sore neck out, but regretted it when a flash of pain spread from his injury. Lancelot noticed, and came closer, examine the bloody spot on Merlin's neck.

"How did this happen?" He asked quietly, so the other knights didn't hear.

"It only happened when Matthew knocked me out." He attempted to brush it off. "I'm fine." Merlin nodded towards Elyan. "How is he?"

Lancelot sighed. "He should be fine. He'll for sure be back on his feet within two or three days, as long as he isn't forced to fight again." Lancelot paused, looking hesitant.

"What is it?"

"He described the creature he had fought, Merlin. I'm surprised he even survived, especially considering the beast's reputation."

"Reputation?"

"The Death Cat." Elyan cut in, apparent hearing their discussion. "Apparently it's been a prized champion of the arena for some time." The rest of the knights were now interested in the conversation going on in Merlin's cell.

"I heard from a guard that it was captured around the same time we defeated Morgana." Leon cut in. The name of his sister caused Arthur to flinch. "No one has defeated it yet. And, from what I've seen, Elyan is the first to survive its attacks." Merlin grimaced, not liking the sound of this monster.

"Aw, Merlin, cheer up!" Arthur said, his tone almost casual. "I'm sure Thane would never put someone as week as you up against this 'champion'."

"Well, I did defeat that one man, you prat." Merlin pointed, a small smile crossing his lips.

"Yes, well, that doesn't count. He was the worst warrior I've ever seen."

"You must have never seen yourself fight, then." The knights chuckled at Merlin's response, a slight sense of comfort settling over them at the sound of Arthur and Merlin's usual banter.

"Idiot." Arthur said, glaring at his servant. But he too, -though he would never admit it- found comfort in Merlin acting like his old self.

"Clot pole." Merlin shot back.

"I could put you in the stocks for that, Merlin."

"Not here, you can't, sire." Arthur made a face, leaning against the cell wall.

"It's alright, mate." Gwaine said, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. "As soon as we get back home, you can put him in the stocks for a week."

"Don't give him any ideas, Gwaine." Percival called out from his cell. "After all, if Merlin's in the stocks, who's going to be our training dummy?" Merlin let himself laugh along with the knights, some of the worry from before melting away. Still, a nagging thought kept circling in his mind.

What if they couldn't escape?

* * *

 **Hey guys! So, Thane is Nimueh's former apprentice!**

 **Will Merlin be able to escape? Or will he have to reveal his magic in order to keep his friends safe? Who will his next opponent be?**

 **Let me know what you think, because I honestly do not have a solid plan for this... *cue nervous laughter***

 **I hope you liked it!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	9. Old Friends

Merlin sighed in relief as Arthur was thrown back in his cell, relatively unharmed. When Thane's men had pulled the prince out of his cell, Merlin couldn't help but worry. He was still shackled to the wall, unable to do anything to help his friends.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked as the men left. Arthur groaned, rubbing his arm as he stood up.

"Just _perfect_ , _Mer_ lin." Arthur's voice practically dripped with sarcasm. "I only just fought a sorcerer and nearly died."

"Is that all, then?" Merlin replied with a grin. The prince rolled his eyes, sinking down to the ground to rest.

"You know, mate," Gwaine began, his tone curious. "Why hasn't Thane let us watch any of each other's fights, except for Merlin's?" Merlin clenched his jaw. He knew exactly why. Thane wanted Merlin to reveal his magic to the knights.

"Who knows what that man thinks." Leon stated, the others nodding in agreement. They sat in silence for another good hour, only the sound of the people in the arena keeping them from complete quiet.

Suddenly, the dungeon door slammed open, causing the knights to jump on surprise. Merlin groaned, realizing this meant one of them would probably have to fight again. Not very many prisoners were kept in this part of the dungeon, nearly guaranteeing that one of the knights of Camelot would be chosen when the guards burst in.

They all watched as the guards walked over to the cells, keys in hand. Fear clawed its way through Merlin as they walked to his cell, opening the door with a loud squeak. The men chuckled at the expression on the warlock's face as they began to unlock his shackles. The knights began to protest, but to no avail.

"Don't worry." One of the guards told the knights. "More are on their way to bring you up so you can watch." Gwaine let out an angry grunt as Merlin was dragged away.

* * *

Merlin was shoved roughly back into the weapons room. He stumbled, glancing around the room, looking for a weapon to use.

"I don't think so." With another push, Merlin was sent into the room that led to the arena,

"Don't I get a weapon?" He yelled as the doors began to close.

"Thane's orders! He said you'll know what to do without one!" The guard replied, laughing. "I suppose he means you'll know to die." With his words, the doors slammed shut in Merlin's face, while the other ones began to open like they had before. Merlin pounded on the closed doors angrily, practically shouting spells to try and open the door. He sighed as the doors to the arena finished opening, the roaring of the crowd echoing.

Resigned to his fate, Merlin walked out into the arena, not even bothering to glance into Thane's box. The knights and Arthur were there. He was sure of it. Merlin stared straight ahead as the doors that would reveal his opponent opened. What Merlin expected, was to see some sort of beast or giant warrior.

What he didn't expect, was to see a young man walk out, sword in one hand, shield in the other. He was also wearing a very familiar ring. Merlin gaped, and so did his would- be opponent.

"Merlin?"

"Gilli?"

* * *

The voices of the two fighters in the arena seemed to echo, the crowd completely silenced. The knights of Camelot stared from their spot on Thane's "box", shocked that Merlin somehow knew this man. Arthur squinted at the man's face, finding it somehow familiar. His eyes widened in recognition as he realized who it was.

"That man fought in Camelot's tournament a year or so back. He nearly won, too. Made it all the way to the finals." Arthur explained quietly to the knights. Only Leon seemed to recognize what the prince was speaking of.

"I didn't realize Merlin knew him." Leon spoke up.

"Neither did I." Arthur replied, staring at the two. Thane seemed to be seething with anger at this turn of events. This would not go well.

"Gilli?" Merlin couldn't believe his eyes. "How did you get here? Were you captured too?"

Gilli's eyes widened. "What?! Captured? No, I came here on my own! Thane offered me a chance to prove myself in the arena." Merlin furrowed his brow at the man's response. Perhaps this wouldn't be a good thing.

"So you prove yourself by killing people?" Merlin asked disbelief on his voice. The crowd began to voice their disappointment in the lack of fighting going on. Merlin and Gilli ignored them.

"What? No, I never take a life of any person!"

"Well, when you defeat them, they are dragged away to be fed to the Wyverns." Merlin sighed at Gilli's horrified expression. He clearly had had no idea about what was going on. Merlin winced as the memories of some of the screams he had heard from the Wyvern cage echoed in his head.

"I- I didn't know." Gilli's voice dropped to a whisper. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the voice of the announcer broke in.

"Both of you, fight, _now_!" Her voice revealed her irritation. Merlin glanced at Gilli, who's expression said everything.

"No." Gilli said, putting down his sword. Merlin gave the man a small smile, while the knights were grinning like madmen. Maybe Merlin would make it out of this fight. The announcer looked fearfully at Thane, who seemed to radiate rage at this new development.

"If you will not fight each other, then you will be forced to fight something else!" The woman waved her hand, signaling for a gate to open. The crowd watched with baited breath as the doors creaked open, an ear splitting shriek coming from the inside.

"No!" Gwaine yelled. The knights stared in horror as the sound registered. They knew exactly what was in that cage. They had been hearing its cries for the entire time they'd been there.

Merlin grabbed the sword Gilli had dropped as the boy's ring flashed. He was scared too. A Wyvern crawled out, spreading its wings with a screech.

Then another.

Then another.

The two combatants stared in horror as three Wyverns exited the pen, and began to circle above them. The crowd began to cheer, demanding blood. Merlin held up his sword, earning a confused glance from Gilli.

"Why aren't you using your magic?" He hissed. Merlin jerked his head in the knights direction, understanding creeping into the boy's face. "Well, I hope you can survive without it, Merlin." Gilli raised his hand, beginning to chant. One of the Wyverns shrieked in pain, falling to the ground where it thrashed helplessly. Merlin sprinted over to it, driving the sword through its heart. A small grin crossed Merlin's face as he allowed a slight sense of hope to emerge in him.

Perhaps with Gilli's help, he could stop the Wyverns without revealing himself.

Thane seemed to realize that too. Angrily, he began to chant, an energy forming in his palm. The knights shouted their warnings, trying to catch Merlin's attention. He glanced to see what was going on, but was too slow. The beam of energy shot from Thane's hands straight into the arena, heading towards Merlin.

Merlin knew what Thane was doing. He wanted to force Merlin to use his magic to save himself. The warlock would not give in that easily. Either Thane would have to call the beam off, or Merlin would die. It was that simple.

Merlin could faintly hear the sound of Gilli calling his name, telling him to snap out of it. Thane grinned, believing Merlin would give in. Merlin stood there, waiting for the beam to hit his chest with his eyes closed. A gasp rippled through the crowd, and Merlin opened his eyes, only to widen them in horror.

Gilli stood there, mouth gaping, a burning hole in his chest.

* * *

 **Yay cliffhanger!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	10. Dragonlord

" _No_!" Merlin's shout echoed in the arena, before being drowned out by the crowd. Gilli collapsed, his eyes staring blankly at the sky. Merlin shook with rage, blinking back the tears before turning his vengeful gaze on Thane.

Thane had made a big mistake.

Arthur stared as Merlin gave Thane a look that could kill. He had never seen Merlin this angry. Not since Gaius had almost been executed by the Witch Finder. But, fear seemed to override Arthur's surprise. Without the sorcerer, Merlin wouldn't survive against the Wyverns. Thane seemed to grin at Merlin's reaction, unfazed by the glare he was receiving. The Wyverns let out another shriek as the crowd cheered, thirsty for more bloodshed.

"Don't be a fool, Merlin. Don't hide." Lancelot muttered, catching Arthur's attention. The prince was forced to push his curiosity away as Gwaine lunged for Thane, but was shoved to the ground by a guard, forced to only watch as his friend would seemingly meet his end.

Merlin felt his magic course through him, begging to be released. Merlin stared at the body of his friend, his head pounding.

"Fight, boy!" Thane yelled from his throne, surprising the crowd. He almost never spoke. "Fight, or your friends die, one by one!" The black eyed man gestured to the knights lined up behind him, while the warlock's blood boiled. Grief and rage overwhelmed all sensibility Merlin had,

Thane wanted Merlin to fight?

Then that's what he would get.

Merlin grabbed the shield from Gilli's limp arm, refusing to look at his unseeing eyes. A Wyvern dove down, screeching. Merlin swung his sword at it, managing to nick the creature's scales.

But the thick hide of the beast prevented Merlin from making an actual mark. The second Wyvern took its chance, swooping in. It grabbed at the shield on Merlin's arm with its jaw, and began to pull.

Merlin yelled in pain as the beast jerked the shield upwards, causing his arm to get pulled along with it. He felt something pop in his shoulder, and let out another cry in pain. The warlock could hear the knights yelling from the opposite end of the arena. Merlin's vision blurred from pain as the Wyvern continued to pull him up, the other Wyvern hovering close by.

With a groan, he began to work his arm out of the shields straps, in an attempt to get free. After what seemed like an eternity, Merlin managed to free himself, dropping to the dusty ground with a groan. Stars exploded in his eyes when he hit the ground, pain knifing through his body, mostly through his shoulder. Merlin let out an uncharacteristic curse word. He must have dislocated it when the Wyvern pulled on him. The Wyvern came back in, forcing Merlin to peel himself up off the ground, as painful as it was.

He held his sword in his hand, though he knew it would not do much. Merlin could not fight well with both hands. With his second arm now useless, Merlin would be even more vulnerable.

Merlin debated with himself, rolling out of the way of the Wyvern as it dove in once again. If he revealed himself, if- once they got back to Camelot, Merlin would be executed for practicing magic. Not to mention, Gaius would surely take some blame for harboring a sorcerer for so long.

The warlock's thoughts raced as he moved away from another Wyvern. If he didn't reveal himself, and let himself die, Thane would surely kill Arthur and the knights of Camelot, preventing Arthur from fulfilling his destiny.

That last thought steeled Merlin's resolve. He had to save Arthur. That was his destiny. He took a deep breath, straightening his posture. Merlin stared at Thane, then at Arthur, hoping to convey an apology with his expression. He stared at the Wyverns, ready to face his destiny. No matter the consequences.

Arthur watched as Merlin stood, facing the Wyverns head on, no fear in the man's face.

"Is he trying to get himself killed?" Arthur exclaimed, mostly to himself. But then, Merlin did something that no on expected, not even Lancelot. He began to speak in a foreign language, his voice becoming something that the knights could only describe as a deep, guttural roar.

" _Nun de de gei s'eikein kai emois, epe'essess hepetei!_ " Merlin shouted at the Wyverns. The beasts stared in confusion, before backing down. They landed, heads bowed towards Merlin. Thane bolted up from his throne. He'd expected a sorcerer... not a Dragonlord. " _Ithai_!" Merlin yelled the last word, pointing towards the cage the Wyverns had came from. The crowd began to yell angrily as the Wyverns, now docile, walked to their cage.

"Way to go, mate!" Gwaine cheered. The other knights joined him, glad their friend was alive. Arthur, however, remained silent. Merlin had lied to him.

Merlin grinned as the Wyverns entered their cage, but the smile soon fell as he the weight of what he just did came crashing down on him. He stared up towards Arthur, who was staring back, a look of disbelief on his face. However, Merlin felt slightly hopeful when he noticed the other knights grinning.

The crowd booed at the lack of violence, the announcer desperately trying to calm them. But when Thane stood, the voices were so silent that you could have heard a single whisper throughout the entire arena. Thane turned his dark gaze upon Merlin, who stood ready for anything.

"Who are you, boy?" Thane's voice dripped with venom, rage lacing each and every one of his words. Merlin took a deep breath, calming his jumpy nerves.

"I am Merlin, son of Balinor, and the last Dragonlord in the land of Albion!" The spectators, knights, and the announcer all gaped in shock, murmurs exploding among them. The woman who was announcing tried to calm them, though she was making no headway.

"SILENCE!" Thane's voice thundered, terror being struck into each and every heart of the people who stood there. Merlin felt his body shaking against his own will at the sight of Thane. Energy seemed to swirl around him, casting an eerie red glow on his pale skin. The shadows in the arena seemed to stretch wider, even the sun appeared to dim at the man's anger. "You will pay, Merlin." Thane's voice had changed, sounding like thousands of swords being sharpened on stone.

With a wave of his hand, Thane forces the Wyvern pen shut, before storming out of his box. The knights remained, watching as several men entered the arena with Merlin. Warily, they restrained him, dragging him out. The crowd had begun to complain loudly, while he announcer calmed them, saying they would get another fight soon.

A fight for the ages, she claimed.

A great battle between the last Dragonlord and the Death Cat.

* * *

 **Yay, another cliffhanger!**

 **Don't you just love me? So, I'm guessing you have an idea of what will happen in the next chapter, eh?**

 **Ha! I doubt you'll know. Maybe you will. Whatever. Wow, this has been practically one action scene after the next. I probably should add more plot to it, but it's also my fic so I can make it all fight scenes if I want to, I guess... I really hope you guys like this!**

 **-InkFanatic**

 **.**


	11. Death Cat

Merlin groaned as he was thrown onto the floor in front of Thane, his injured shoulder reminding him just how human he was. Thane paced angrily, his expression dark with rage.

"You seem tense." Merlin said, almost managing a smirk. Almost. Thane let out a roar of anger, and suddenly Merlin felt an ice cold blade on his neck. A scythe had appeared out of nowhere, and was pressed against Merlin's skin, its cold edge biting into his neck. The warlock bit his lip as the blade cut into him, drawing blood, which trickled down into his dirty, tattered neckerchief.

" _How_?" Thane spat, his question causing Merlin to raise an eyebrow. "How are you so powerful? When sorcery is used in my arena, I'm able to draw it from its user, able to take it for myself."

Merlin's eyes widened. "The dome." He breathed.

"Yes. It is the same magic that the eye of a Phoenix has. But instead of draining life force, it drains magic." Thane let out a growl, putting more pressure onto the scythe. Merlin choked as the blade pressed deeper. "The same idea should apply for the power of a Dragonlord, yet you still remain with your power." His voices changed again, into the deep, scraping sound that could barely qualify as a voice. "So I'll ask you again: How?" Merlin gulped, one fairly obvious answer becoming clear in his mind.

 _Emrys_. Being Emrys probably allowed him to retain his power.

But there was no way he was telling Thane his suspicions. "I- I don't know." Merlin said, putting every ounce of effort left in him to make his statement believable. Thane hissed, staring at Merlin, searching for any sense of a lie.

"Very well." Thane said, pulling back on the scythe. Merlin practically shook with relief, the pain in his neck dulling quickly. "Perhaps..." Merlin snapped his head up, staring at Thane. "Perhaps if you use your power more. If you use actual sorcery." The malicious grin on Thane's face made Merlin's gut churn. "So that is what you will do." The black eyed man began to exit the room, motioning for the guards to take his captive back out to the arena.

"I don't think so." Merlin said with a snarl, but cried out when a guard grabbed his injured arm. Thane stopped, turning his head back towards the stubborn prisoner.

"If you don't... well, you and your friends will die."

The crowd cheered as Thane settled back down on his throne, all signs of his previous outburst completely gone.

"I apologize for our previous interruptions. The Dragonlord has been contained, and will not cause any more problems for us. He will fight against the Death Cat, and, even with his magic, he will not prevail!" The spectators went wild as Thane's little speech ended.

The knights' minds were still reeling from all that had happened.

"Merlin is a Dragonlord." That was the main thought circling through the majority of their heads. Lancelot had been expecting magic, but not Dragonlord magic.

Gwaine had been suspecting something was off about Merlin for a long time, but he hadn't quite imagined something on this scale. Perhaps a few simple spells, maybe even a complicated one or two. But not a Dragonlord.

Percival, Leon, and Elyan were completely shocked. They hadn't expected anything like this. But, if they were being honest with themselves, it made sense. Merlin always seemed to survive against the odds.

And Arthur?

He was furious. And worried. But mostly furious. Worry was from the fight that was about to take place. Being a Dragonlord would not help Merlin against this "Death Cat" that had nearly killed Elyan in a previous fight. But the anger soon outweighed the worry, and all Arthur could think was how Merlin had betrayed him. In order to use his powers, Merlin would be using sorcery. Especially in the King's eyes. Worry sprang back through Arthur.

What would his father do? Right now, Arthur was angry, sure, but he didn't want Merlin dead. Yet.

Arthur's thought process was interrupted by Merlin entering the arena once more, clutching his left shoulder.

"Can't you give him a break?" Gwaine shouted at Thane, followed by the other knights. Thane ignored them, waving his hand. That signaled for the gate to open, the gate that lead to this "champion", this "Death Cat".

The crowd's roars increased to a deafening volume, chanting the name of their favorite champion.

" _Death Cat! Death Cat! Death Cat_!" The cheers suddenly fell silent, leaving an eerie feeling. Even the slightest whisper could be heard in the deathly quiet arena. Merlin's breathing seemed to echo in his ears as a loud growl sounded from the now completely open cage. The beast burst forward with a roar, causing the cheers to rise up again, even louder than before.

Gwaine stared at the beast, its fur black as night. Its large feline body was bigger than any man, even Thane. It spread its wings with another roar, the wing span even longer than the body. The crowd fell silent as they watched the creature begin to pace, examining Merlin curiously.

Thane had been expecting many things to happen when the beast had left the cage. He had expected the young Dragonlord to run, either away from the beast in hopes of survival, or perhaps towards it in a mad attempt of killing it. He'd expected the beast to leap forward and attack, to kill its prey in on swift blow. He'd expected, that perhaps, the Death Cat would play with the boy, prolonging his death. Even the knights had been expecting one of these reactions.

What no one had been expecting was for the Death Cat to cock its head curiously, regarding Merlin with interest. Almost as if it recognized him.

What no one had been expecting was for Merlin to utter a single word, filled with so much pain, longing, and... _hope_.

" _Freya_?"

 **Hahahahahaha cliffhanger!**

 **Guys I'm like crying as this fic gets crappier and crappier as I go along. Ugh...**

 **Sorry for the shorter chapter, I promise to get back into my habit of the chapters reaching about 2000 words. But this chapter, and the next chapter, will be slightly shorter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	12. Reunion

"Freya?" Merlin whispered, daring to hope. His heart seemed to stop at the sight of the familiar Bastet. The creature regarded Merlin curiously, a small bit of recognition lighting up in its eyes. It bounced towards the young warlock, causing the crowd to cheer and the knights to yell, believing it was going in for the killing blow.

Merlin stood there, hope overriding all of his other instincts, particularly the one that was screaming _RUN_! At him.

The Bastet came to screeching halt right in front of Merlin, who slowly reached out his hand, attempting not portray any threat to it- her. She stared at the hand with her feline eyes, before placing her head under it. Merlin felt like yelling for joy as Freya began to purr softly while he gently ran his hand down her head. Tears formed in his eyes as he felt the soft fur underneath his hand, proving that he wasn't just imaging this.

A flash of red suddenly caught Merlin's attention, and his gaze traveled to the Bastet's neck, where an odd collar with a glowing stone was fastened. He gently touched it, but jerked his hand away when Freya let out a small growl in warning. The warlock looked over the beast form of the woman he loved, wanted to scream as he noticed all the scars that littered her body.

"What are you doing?" Thane's voice yelled as the crowd began to demand for the two to fight. " _Kill_ him!" Gwaine chuckled, while the other knights gaped at the sight before them.

"Merlin seems to be a constant disappointment for you, Thane." Gwaine said as the Bastet was now curled around Merlin.

"Impossible..." Thane muttered. "Guards, get in there! Kill the boy and the beast!" Thane's men filed into the arena, surrounding Merlin and Freya.

Merlin held his hand out in warning as Freya snarled, determined to protect Merlin. Elyan, who had forced himself to move past his shock, was now picking the lock on his shackles with a small shard he managed to peel from Thane's throne. The warlock in the arena winced at the amount of men who had filled the arena. This would be tough.

Merlin raised both his arms, wincing at the pain then came from the injured one, and his eyes flashed a brilliant gold. All hopes of hiding the extent of his magic now gone, he sent over half of the guards flying. Freya pounced, her claws tearing into the nearest two guards in one swipe, then moving on to the next closest ones. Merlin dropped his left arm, the pain becoming too much, but kept his other hand up, directing every spell he could think of at the men. Freya roared, blood tinting her gleaming white fangs to a red.

* * *

Arthur watched to carnage below, and he was livid. Not only had Merlin proved that he was a Dragonlord, he was full-blown _sorcerer_. And, from the looks of it, a powerful one at that. The sting of betrayal coursed through Arthur, fueling his rage. Thane was also angry, but for an entirely different reason.

Merlin's magic was being drained, he could feel it being transferred into his own body, but it was an extremely slow process. Somehow, this boy had enough magic to last longer than every other sorcerer Thane had ever come across. Enraged, Thane began muttering a spell, his words becoming louder and louder, until they echoed in the arena. The crowd had now begun to disperse, fearing for their lives.

Thane's spell was deafening, his voice once again sounding like thousands of swords grinding against stone. As the Bastet pounced on the final man, claws tearing through flesh, the collar she was wearing flashed a blinding red. The stone gleamed, while its bearer let out a pained growl, scratching at her neck.

"Freya!" Merlin screamed, running to her. He began to pull at the collar, desperately attempting to pull it off. The Bastet's eyes changed from their normal gold, into a burning red. In a desperate attempt to save Merlin, with the last bit of control she had left, Freya pushed Merlin away, trying to send a message.

 _Leave_. Her eyes seemed to beg the warlock.

 _Never_.

* * *

Thane smirked as the beast turned back under his control, before turning to leave the box. He was going to personally make Merlin pay. And it would be painful.

As Thane disappeared from sight, Elyan smiled as the lock on his shackles clicked, signaling their release. He glanced at Percival, who noticed the unlocked chains, and nodded in understanding.

"On three." Percival mouthed. "One... two... THREE!" The last number he yelled, diving into the guard directly behind him. Elyan whipped his cuffs off, grabbing the sword of the stunned guard before plunging it into the second one's stomach. Elyan grabbed to keys off of the now dead guard's belt, placing them in Percival's hands before moving to fight off the other five guards. He had to give the knights time to escape.

"Anytime, now!" Elyan yelled, sliding the blade of his sword across another man's gut.

"We're hurrying!" Gwaine shot back as Percival removed his shackles. With both Gwaine and Percival now free, they handed off the keys to Arthur, who finished the job of freeing the knights, while they assisted Elyan in finishing the last of Thane's men.

"Nice work." Lancelot complimented Elyan, who smiled in thanks.

"Now..." Gwaine shifted the sword in his hand, testing the weight. "Let's go help Merlin!" The knights cheered in agreement, and those who were not armed grabbed their weapons off of the guards. They were ready to save their friend who was busy trying to talk the Bastet he had called Freya out of attacking. The knights of Camelot all rushed to the door. All except one.

"Sire?" Leon asked, giving Arthur a questioning look. The prince simply stared at the ground, his expression blank.

"Stand down." He said, quietly.

"What?!" Percival exclaimed. "Arthur, he could die if we don't get down there!" The prince's blank expression remained.

"I said, stand down." Arthur repeated forcefully. The knights stared at heir prince is disbelief. "Merlin is a sorcerer who has been corrupted. If he wants to live, he can just use his magic," he practically spat the word, "to save himself."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Arthur glanced up, expecting the voice to come from Gwaine. The usually drunk knight's mouth was open, as if he was going to say something, but he hadn't yet. "Merlin has done so much for Camelot with his magic." The knights and Prince Arthur stared in surprise at Lancelot's outburst.

"You knew?" Leon asked incredulously, only to have Lancelot ignore it.

"Merlin has sacrificed so much for Camelot, for you, Arthur Pendragon. He's told me of some of his hardships, but he has kept many from me. He slaves away, every day, just to help you and to help Camelot." Lancelot took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. "So, I plan on going to help my friend, if anyone would like to join me." Lancelot whirled around, storming out the door, Gwaine following without any hesitation. Elyan glanced out at where they had been standing, before following.

"Guinevere trusts him." He said quietly before leaving. Percival's gaze flew between the door and his prince, his expression conflicted. After a brief moment of debating with himself, he silently followed the others out the door. Arthur watched Leon, who was now the only knight left in the room with him.

"Sire," Leon began hesitantly. "You know that I am complete loyal to you, and to Camelot. But..." he sighed. "I've know Merlin for a little while now, and I do not believe him to be capable of evil. His heart is true." Sir Leon walked towards the door, before pausing. "And he's our friend."

With those words, Leon left, and Arthur was alone.

* * *

Unknown to Merlin, the knights were battling their way down to the arena, obliterating the men who stood in their way. Meanwhile, the young warlock was fighting a completely different battle. He was trying to keep the love of his life from killing him.

"Freya, please!" He begged. "I don't want to hurt you!" The Bastet's eyes flickered between yellow and red for a moment, before solidifying into a horrible red color. "No!" Merlin shouted. Freya leapt at him, no longer in control of her own actions. He dove away, flinching as his shoulder protested greatly at the movement. She let out a bellowing roar, leaping at Merlin once again.

This time, he didn't move fast enough, causing Freya's claws to tear along his stomach. Merlin cried out, blood soaking through the front of his shirt. The sight of a wounded Merlin seemed to cause Freya to pause, as if she was attempting to break free of Thane's control. She shook her head, growling. Merlin felt hope rise up in him, only to be squashed again when Freya looked back up at him, eyes red once more.

Merlin's mind scrambled for a way to not hurt Freya, to save her. His gaze snapped to the collar on her neck, or more specifically, the stone. "I'm sorry, Freya." He whispered, raising his hand. "But this will hurt you a little." Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and Freya went flying into the arena wall, causing Merlin to wince. The Bastet was now unconscious, or at least dazed. The warlock sprinted towards her limp form, praying silently for her to be alright as he kneeled next to her.

He sighed in relief when he saw her chest rising up and down steadily. Merlin placed his hands on the collar, but yelped when a hot burning sensation rippled through his entire body. It was a safety precaution in case someone attempted to remove the collar. Merlin took a deep breath, steeling his nerves as he reached for the collar once more.

"For Freya." He whispered to himself. Pain racked through his body as he grabbed onto the collar and the stone, and began to chant quietly. His words grew louder and his eyes burned gold as he repeated the spell over and over, wanting to free Freya. After what seemed like an eternity, the collar snapped, and Merlin collapsed, exhausted.

When he was able to focus again, Merlin pulled himself up, immediately checking over Freya. She was now back to her human form. Merlin laughed loudly as she groaned, sitting up.

"Merlin?" Freya whispered. Merlin nodded ecstatic. He thought he would never hear his name come from those lips ever again. "Merlin! It's you!" Freya lunged at him, wrapping her arms around the shocked warlock. " I missed you so much!" She breathed into his ear. Merlin pulled back, staring at Freya's face. "Merlin?"

"You're as beautiful as the day I lost you." Merlin choked out, pulling his Freya into a deep kiss.

* * *

 **(Ok, so I snuck a HTTYD reference in there. Fight me.)**

 **Aaaaaa guys Freya's back! Yay! Honestly Freylin is my OTP and I was unbelievably mad when the writers killed her off. So, it's finally looking up for our young warlock, isn't it? Will they finally escape? Will Arthur manage to find it in his heart to forgive his manservant? Or will Thane destroy them? I hope you guys have enjoyed this fanfic so far! Not too much longer and it'll be over! Yay!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	13. Emrys

Merlin and Freya were still sharing a deep kiss when the knights barreled into the arena, expecting to see the Bastet tearing into Merlin. What they didn't expect to see was Merlin in lip lock with a beautiful girl. Freya suddenly broke the kiss, looking down at her body.

Because of her time spent as a Bastet, she had no clothes. She turned bright red, along with Merlin, while the knights respectfully averted their gaze. Merlin bolted straight up, pulling off his shirt, handing it to Freya. He winced at the horrible state it was in, but it was better than nothing. Freya pulled the shirt on quickly, tearing her stare away from the claw marks on Merlin's stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Merlin." She whispered. Merlin's shirt came down to her mid thigh, thankfully covering her up. With a small whisper from Merlin, the shirt both lengthened, and mended itself, falling down to her knees as a dress."I hurt you." Freya sounded horrified at the idea, her eyes unable to break away from the bloody wound. Merlin smiled, trying to force her not to worry.

"No, no, it's fine, Freya. I promise. Besides," he said pulling the neckerchief off of himself, before using it to tie Freya's long brown hair back. "I would go through it a million times just to be with you again." He wiped his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the few tears that fell. The knights made their way over to the two, their interest piqued at the sight of this strange woman.

"How- how are you here?" Merlin asked quietly. She looked up at him, still upset at his wounds.

"When I helped you get the sword from the bottom of the lake to defeat Morgana, apparently I had earned myself a new chance at life." She paused, swallowing. "The next thing I remember, was emerging from the lake, still in that beautiful dress you gave me." Merlin smiled softly running his hands through her hair. Gwaine walked up behind the warlock, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Mate, I'm sorry to break up the reunion, but we need to go. Thane is still out there, and so are a lot of his men." Merlin nodded, grabbing Freya's hand.

"Wait, where's Arthur?" He asked, just now getting a good look at the knights before him. The uneasy look on their faces told him everything. "Oh. I see. He hates me now."

"I wouldn't say hates you, he-" Merlin raised his hand at, silencing Lancelot's attempts explaining.

"It's alright. I expected something like this to happen." Merlin's voice was calm, and he felt Freya squeezing his hand, in an attempt to reassure him. He turned to her, an idea springing into his head. "Come with us." He suddenly pleaded.

"I- my magic,- your magic-" She stumbled over her words. Merlin placed a gentle kiss on her lips, silencing her protests.

"We will return to Camelot only long enough to get supplies, and so I can say goodbye to Gaius and Gwen. Then we'll leave, find a home together." She smiled at his words. "We'll go somewhere with mountains."

"A place with a few fields?" Freya asked, Merlin's smile matching her own.

"Some wildflowers."

"A couple of cows."

"And a lake." They finished together. Merlin and the knights turned to the exit, hope rising in them. They could go home.

"And where do you think you're going?" Merlin's heart dropped into his stomach at the sound of the grating voice behind him. Collectively, the knights all turned to see Thane, with at least ten men standing there, and another ten entering from the door they were getting ready to exit out of. "I now see who you are, boy." Thane sneered as the knights and Merlin formed a circle, the warlock pushing Freya into the center of it.

"Please, let them go, Thane." Merlin begged, fearing for his friends lives. "I'll willingly trade my life for theirs, but please let them go." The others protested at Merlin's offer, Freya being the loudest. Thane chuckled, his scythe forming in his hand.

"This is no longer about simple revenge for Nimueh." His voice filled every bit of their heads, causing them to wince. "This is about you, and only you, Emrys." Merlin's eyes widened at the use of his other name. "I told you that I could take one's magic if they fought in this arena, did I not? Well, you are going to fight, and you are going to give me your magic." Thane paused, tilting his head, as if he were thinking. "I've heard what the legends say about you, Emrys. About you being the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth. About you helping the Once and Future King rise to his rightful place on the throne."

"Is he talking about Arthur?" Percival whispered. The knights of Camelot had seen and heard many shocking things today, but this was by far the biggest shock they would ever receive in their lives. Merlin of all people was the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

Clumsy Merlin, who seemed to trip over his own feet.

Joking Merlin, who insulted Arthur at every chance he got.

Innocent Merlin, who didn't even like taking the life of animals, let alone people.

The Merlin that stood before them now was nothing like the Merlin they had befriended.

This Merlin was proud, standing tall at this man who dared to threaten his loved ones.

This Merlin was stoic, glaring at the evil presence before him.

This Merlin was furious, his gaze locked onto the man who would deprive him of his destiny.

This Merlin was Emrys.

* * *

 **Ok, I actually liked that bit. It almost sent shivers down my spine. What did you think? I added some Freylin fluff, and advanced as very serious plot point all in one short chapter! Yay me! This has got to be my favorite chapter that I've written, just because I liked the comparison. I'll be updating again soon!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	14. Fighting for Freedom

"You will not harm them, Thane." Merlin's voice was low. His eyes flashed, and without a warning two of the men closest to Thane fell without a sound. The knights stared in disbelief. Merlin hadn't uttered a single spell, or even moved, yet two of Thane's men were down.

"You cannot protect them, Emrys. Every time you use your magic it is drained from you, transferring to me." Thane raised his scythe, his black eyes glaring at the warlock before him. "Kill them all." With Thane's simple command, his men charged the knights of Camelot.

"Protect Freya!" Merlin shouted at Lancelot, before rushing towards Thane. Lancelot nodded, backing towards the girl. The other knights charged into battle, their determination pushing them.

Freya smiled at the knight who Merlin had asked to keep her safe. "I'm Freya!" She introduced herself. He smiled in return, blocking the swipe of an enemy sword, before plunging it into the attacker's chest.

"Lancelot." He replied, shaking her hand. Her eyes widened as she noticed something behind the knight.

"Look out!" Freya yelled, stretching her hand out. Quickly, she muttered a spell, and sent the man, who was about to bring his sword down on the knight, flying across the arena.

"I can see why Merlin likes her so much!" Gwaine yelled as he watched her direct another spell towards the man who had pinned him down. With a grin on his face, he charged back into battle.

Merlin ducked, barely dodging the scythe that sailed over his head. The warlock's eyes were completely gold now, because of the spell he was using to slow down time around himself and Thane. If Merlin stopped using the spell for even one second, Thane would become too fast to even see.

"You might as well surrender, Emrys." Thane snarled, lifting his weapon above his head. He brought it down with all his strength, forcing Merlin to jump to the side. The blade plunged into the hard ground where the warlock had been standing, a crack spiraling through the rock. Merlin panted, out of breath. He raised his hand, and Thane went flying, though not far. "The longer you use your power-" he grunted, picking himself off the arena floor. "-the more powerless you become." Thane pointed at Merlin, and without saying a single spell, sent the warlock tumbling.

Merlin moaned, his head ringing. He gasped as he felt the point of Thane's scythe press into his back, piercing the skin slightly.

"Nimueh always believed in the power of prophecy." Thane whispered. "Well, I'm on the verge of defying a prophecy, by killing you. With your death, Arthur will not go on to be king, and will not unite Albion." A dark chuckle came from the man's throat. "I suppose Nimueh was wrong about destinies." Merlin's breathing became labored as he became weaker, his magic being slowly sapped from him.

"Merlin!" The sound of Freya's shriek caused the knights to pause in their actions, only to see their friend pinned under the blade of the enemy. The warlock groaned, feeling blood trickle down his back as Thane pressed harder, taking sadistic joy in his pain.

Suddenly, Thane was tackled by a blur of red and silver, and the blade was gone. Merlin sighed in relief, rolling over to catch a glimpse of his savior. The warlock had expected one of the knights, maybe even a spell from Freya. What hadn't even crossed his mind was Arthur saving him.

The prince stood above Merlin, taking in the injuries he had sustained. A slight flash of pity could be seen in his eyes before it was replaced by anger, then hardness. Merlin winced as he stood up, white hot pain spreading through his body.

"Arthur, I-"

"Save it." Arthur held a hand up, silencing his former manservant. "You've saved my life before. I don't enjoy being in debt."

Merlin nodded, his expression downcast. "Thank you." He whispered. The prince gave a curt nod, and the two focused their attention on the limp form of Thane. "How hard did you hit him?" Thane began to stir.

"Not hard enough!" Arthur shot back, ducking as the scythe sailed in his direction, nearly decapitating him. Thane had stood, conjured a new scythe, and attempted to deliver a blow so quickly that Merlin and Arthur didn't see any of it.

Merlin hissed in anger. His spell to slow Thane was wearing off, faster than he had anticipated. The warlock's eyes flashed gold as he attempted to recast it, but the spell was too weak, barely even making Thane blink. His dark laughter echoed, causing Merlin and the knights to shudder.

"You grow weaker by the second, Emrys. Soon you won't be able to even protect yourself, let alone them." Thane gestured towards the knights and Freya. None of Thane's men were left standing at this point. Merlin watched in horror as they began to charge at the man, swords raised. He knew they wouldn't survive. Thane smiled, holding his scythe ready.

Gwaine was the first to attack, stabbing his sword at the man's side. Thane sidestepped, and in a blur, the knight was knocked onto his stomach. Elyan charged, blocking the scythe with his own blade. Percival came up behind Thane at the same time, and thrust the sword with all his might into his back. Thane roared in pain, before swinging his weapon in a full circle, sending the two knights flying. Merlin watched in horror as Leon attempted to attack, but instead was caught in the shoulder by the scythes sharp blade. The knight let out a curse word, and clutched his shoulder.

"Leon!" Lancelot cried out as the knight fell to his knees. He ran, tackling Leon out of the way of Thane's swinging weapon.

Merlin watched helplessly as the knights fought, placing themselves in danger because of him. Thane was too fast, too powerful. All of the magic he had taken over the years, pulsed through him, allowing him to throw the knights aside with a flick of his hand. The knights of Camelot were collapsed in a heap, groaning. Thoughts raced through Merlin's mind at high speed as everything around him seemed to slow down. He ran through each scenario that could happen, each one more horrible than the last. If Merlin didn't do something, his friends would die. He made his decision.

"Thane!" Merlin yelled, spreading his arms as if inviting the evil man to come near him. "If you want my magic, come and get it!" Merlin began to chant, making up his own spell. He felt his magic flow through him, and directed it towards Thane. With the last of his magic, Merlin forced the power to leave Thane, and to be dispersed through the ground below them.

Both Merlin and Thane collapsed, weakened. The knights and Freya had gotten their wits about them, and began to get up, shaking the hazy feeling off of them. The prince was the only one who hadn't been caught in the blast of magic. Arthur was off to the side, unsure of whether or not he wanted to help the man he believed had betrayed him.

"You fool!" Thane shrieked. Merlin turned his head, only to see the man stomping towards him. "By sacrificing your magic, you've doomed yourself! I may not have the power of the sorcerers any longer, but I can still fight better than most men!" The warlock groaned, unable to get up. The lack of magic in his system made him feel too weak to even move. Thane reached Merlin, grabbing him by the hair. He cried out when Thane jerked up, forcing Merlin to his feet. "You will pay, Emrys." Thane raised his arm high, the scythe gleaming in the sunlight. The knights yelled, attempting to run over to Merlin and save their friend. But between their injuries, and the distance they would have to cover in a matter of seconds, they wouldn't make it. Thane's hand fell, bringing the weapon with it.

"No!" The enraged yell came from behind Thane, and suddenly, a gleaming blade was protruding from his chest. Thane's eyes widened, and he let out a gurgling sound as he dropped Merlin. The source of the voice could be seen as Thane crumpled to the ground.

"Arthur?" Merlin murmured. The prince gave him a small, sad, smile in response, before turning to his knights. Merlin slowly picked himself off of the ground, but fell back down.

"Let me help you." Arthur said, coming back to Merlin's side. The warlock nodded his head in thanks as he wrapped his arm around Arthur's shoulders. The two walked back towards to the knights, and an awaiting Freya, when Merlin heard a slight rustle behind him. The knights' eyes all widened in fear, and they began to call out to the pair. Merlin turned his head, only to see the gleaming blade of Thane's scythe sailing through the air towards them. Without a second's hesitation, the warlock acted.

He pushed Arthur away.

The prince fell to the ground, out of harm's way, while Merlin simply stood there, too exhausted to move himself. The cackling of Thane echoed in his ears as a searing pain spread through his chest. Merlin looked down to see the scythe's point sticking out from beneath his rib cage. Freya's scream of horror seemed to resonate through the air as Merlin collapsed, completely limp.

With a yell, Arthur leapt towards Thane, driving his sword once again through his chest. Thane shuddered, turning to stare at the prince.

"You won't be able to save him." With those choked words, Thane was dead. The knights ran to their friend, joining Arthur, who was already kneeling at the warlock's side. Merlin's eyes stared at the sky, out of focus.

"Merlin! Merlin, no!" Freya cried, dropping at his side. She grabbed his head, placing it in her lap. He smiled up at her weakly, opening his mouth to form words, but was unable to. His chest seemed to rise and fall unsteadily, his breathing labored.

"Merlin, you have to stay with us, mate." Gwaine muttered. The knights all surrounded their friend.

"There has to be something we can do!" Lancelot hissed. The wound in Merlin's chest was gruesome, his blood bathing his skin in red. Arthur ripped at his own shirt, placing large pieces of cloth over the wound, not knowing what else he could do.

"No..." Merlin whispered. "Nothing- nothing can be done."

"Don't say that, idiot!" Arthur scolded. The prince swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat. He had made a mistake. If he hadn't turned his back so quickly on his friend, maybe he could have stopped Thane sooner. "Merlin, I- I'm," he attempted to apologize. "I'm sorry." Merlin smiled in relief at Arthur.

"Does this mean you'll give me a day off?" Arthur chuckled dryly at the attempt at Merlin's humor.

"No, of course not." Arthur replied, his voice thick.

"Freya," Merlin began. The woman was shaking, tears falling down her face. "Freya, I love you." He whispered. This only made her sob harder. Merlin let out a rasping cough, blood leaking out of his mouth. The warlock gave his friends a smile, in an attempt at comforting them. "Thank you." With those words, his chest stilled, and his head lolled to the side.

* * *

 **Muahahahaha!**

 **Don't you just hate me?**

 **Also, sorry for the fight scene being so, well, sucky. It's hard writing those for me.**

 **And don't worry y'all, this story ain't over yet!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	15. Avalon

"Merlin? Merlin!" Freya's voice shook with sobs. Gwaine let out a scream, stabbing his sword into the ground. Merlin's blue eyes stared blankly at the sky as his friends felt a wave of grief envelope them. Arthur couldn't tear his gaze away from the expressionless face of his friend, unshed tears begging to fall.

"It's my fault." Lancelot whispered, falling to his knees. "I should have saved him."

Arthur shook his head. "He wouldn't want you to blame yourself." The prince said, attempting to reassure the knight. But his attempt fell flat, and tears slipped from Arthur's eyes. Suddenly Freya gasped, stumbling backwards, her eyes locked onto Merlin's.

The knights had been so caught up in their grief, they hadn't noticed that Merlin's normally bright blue eyes had begun to gleam in a brilliant gold. They gaped as Merlin's body seemed to levitate off the ground slightly, his eyes still glowing.

With a bright, flashing gold light, the arena faded, and the knights, Freya, and Merlin were at the shores of a large lake, one with mountains in the distance. The knights glanced at the once again limp body of their friend.

"Avalon." Freya whispered, her gaze switching back and forth between Merlin and the lake. "Of course!" She grabbed Merlin, wrapping her arms around his bare chest. She began to pull him towards the water desperately.

"Help her!" Arthur commanded, before running to pull Merlin away from the struggling girl. He had no idea what she was doing, but felt compelled to trust her. Gwaine ran to help Arthur, and the two walked into the lake, Freya staying near them.

"I'm still connected to this lake." Freya began, gesturing for the knights to stop. "I may be able to heal him!" She glanced uneasily at Arthur. "But it will require magic."

"So?" Arthur bit out. "Heal him!" Freya nodded, and motioned for the Arthur and Gwaine to get out of the water.

They complied, rushing away. Once they had reached the shores, they joined the other knights in watching Freya. The girl began to chant, her eyes gleaming gold as the water churned, swirling around the two. The skies seemed to darken as Freya's voice echoed, growing louder with each word.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the spell stopped. Freya glanced down at Merlin, the hope evident in her expression. His eyes remained closed, and his chest unmoving. The small flicker of hope that had risen in the knights was extinguished as the seconds ticked by.

"No..." Arthur whispered, turning away from the limp body of his friend. Lancelot and Percival walked out there. Percival gently grabbed hold of Merlin, and Lancelot guided a sobbing Freya back out of the lake. All Arthur could think about was Merlin.

Merlin would never insult him again. Merlin would never laugh, he would never smile. Arthur would never hear "Rise and Shine!"come from Merlin's lips. Merlin was gone. Gone.

They were almost to shore when a surprised yell came from Percival, then a splash.

Merlin burst from the water, gasping for air.

"WHY DID YOU DROP ME?" He yelled, grinning. Percival stared for a moment, before enveloping the warlock in a bone-crushing hug. Merlin laughed as the other knights began to sprint towards him, grinning like madmen.

Gwaine was the first to reach Merlin, tackling him in a hug. The two fell into the water, laughing. The rest of the knights surrounded Merlin, their excited chatter overwhelming the warlock. Freya pushed through the men, diving at Merlin. The two embraced, before Merlin planted a kiss on Freya's lips.

"I thought I'd lost you!" She whispered, clinging onto him. He smiled, stroking her hair.

"I'm not leaving you any time soon." He promised. Gwaine was smirking at the two, an eyebrow raised. Merlin, however, was focused on something behind the knight. "Arthur?" He said gently. The prince was still at the shore, refusing to meet Merlin's gaze. The knights stepped aside so Merlin could approach Arthur. "If this is about my magic, I'll leave. I won't come back to Camelot, I won't-" Merlin stopped as Arthur pulled him into a tight hug.

"Don't ever do that again, you idiot." The prince hissed. Merlin laughed in relief.

"I won't."

* * *

 **So anyways, that sucked. Sorry about that.**

 **Also, aren't you glad I didn't kill Merlin off?**

 **Well, this story is finally coming to a close! I'm not sure how I feel about it. Probably happy? I don't know.**

 **Well, please vote (even though it sucks) and be ready for the final chapters to be put up!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	16. Homeward

The knights, Freya, and the now alive Merlin tromped through the woods towards Camelot. The knights had had no idea how to get back to Camelot from where they were, but luckily for them, Merlin often visited the Lake of Avalon, so he knew exactly where to go.

"I still can't believe you're a sorcerer." Arthur said to Merlin.

"Warlock." Merlin corrected. "And to be fair, I've had to hide my magic for such a long time that it's a habit."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly his expression changed. "So you mean, that when Guinevere was accused of sorcery... oh my-" Merlin chuckled, remembering the time he burst through the doors of the throne room, announcing his secret for all to hear. "You were telling the truth." Arthur's tone of voice was incredulous. "Exactly how many other times have you done something like that?"

A smile crept across Merlin's face. "Remember Dragoon the Great?"

Arthur stopped walking completely now, turning to stare at the warlock. "Are you kidding me?" Merlin shook his head in response. The knights laughed at their prince. Merlin had been recounting the times of how he'd saved their lives hidden in the shadows, with some of Lancelot's help.

"It seems like the princess owes his life to you, Merlin." Gwaine said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Indeed." Leon spoke up. "It seems like Merlin has done more for Camelot than most knights have." They continued down the trail, Freya and Merlin hand in hand. After a few more moments, stone walls could be seen in the distance.

"We're almost there! Come on!" Elyan cheered. The began running, overjoyed at the prospect of finally being home. The knights began to run ahead, but suddenly, Merlin stopped.

"Merlin?" Lancelot called. The knights halted, facing the warlock.

"What about my magic? Uther would never allow me to live if he knew." Merlin said quietly. Arthur walked over, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What my father doesn't know won't hurt him." At Arthur's words, Merlin's happy expression returned.

"Well then," he said. "I'll race you back home, clot pole!" Merlin took off running, only pausing to grab Freya's hand again, then pulled her along with him. With Arthur and the knights on his heels, Merlin sprinted homeward.

Guinevere was in the kitchen when she heard a commotion coming from outside. Her breath hitched as the words "prince" and "returned" reached her ears. Gwen began to run, holding up her dress to keep her from tripping. As she came to the courtyard, she nearly collapsed with joy.

There was Arthur, running towards her, a smile on his face. Next to him was Merlin, and a girl Gwen had never met. Gwen's face broke into an uncontrollable grin when she saw every single one of the knights trailing behind Arthur. Quickly, she made her way down the steps, and met the prince halfway.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Guinevere, spinning her. He set her down, breathless, before pulling her into a kiss.

"I was afraid I would never see you again." She whispered, her hands gently cupping his face. He smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I will always come back to you." He told her. Gwen smiled up at him, before moving to hug Elyan.

"Merlin?" A new voice could be heard from the courtyard steps.

"Gaius!" Merlin shouted, running towards the physician. He pulled the older man into a hug.

"Merlin, it's so good to see you, my boy." Gaius said, pulling back to examine the warlock. "What happened to your shirt?" Merlin laughed, shaking his head.

"We have a lot to talk about." Merlin said. He gestured towards Freya, who had come up beside him. "Gaius, this is Freya." A confused look came over the man's face for a moment.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Freya." Gaius told her after a moment.

Freya nodded. "Likewise."

"Freya is going to need a place to stay..." Merlin began.

"Well of course she can stay with us! I could use some extra help seeing how you never actually do your chores." Freya giggled at the physician's statement. Merlin opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by an unfamiliar man exiting the castle.

"Arthur?" The prince looked at the man in confusion, before his expression morphed into one of recognition.

"Uncle?" The man smiled.

"It's good to see your safe and sound, Arthur." Arthur put his arm around Gwen's shoulder, a broad smile on his face.

"Indeed it is."

* * *

 **Okay, guys, I know I could just end it here, but I need some more fluff and happiness. There will be two more chapters.**

 **A big "celebration " type thing. And an epilogue. Hang in there!**

 **-InkFanatic**


	17. It's Destiny

The "welcome home" feast for Arthur was practically legendary.

Even Uther had come, sitting next to his son while they ate. It seemed like all of Camelot had attended, the banquet hall roaring with chatter. Arthur motioned for Merlin to refill his drink, and Merlin hurried forward with a pitcher of wine.

"-and that's why I no longer go to that tavern!" It was at that moment that Gwaine decided to finish his rather amusing story, sending half the people into a fit of laughter. Merlin practically shook from laughter as he completely forgot about the container of liquid in his hands.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, jumping up. Merlin, in his fit of laughter, managed to spill the wine all over his prince. The knights laughed at the sight of Prince Arthur bolting out of his seat, but the situation was only made worse when Merlin, in an attempt to help Arthur, grabbed a napkin off the table. The problem with this, was, unbeknownst to the manservant, the napkin had already been covered with food. Arthur stood there, both food and wine covering the outfit he had chosen for the feast. The prince began to angrily berated Merlin, who was doing his best to hide his laughter. The knights, however, were doing no such thing, and were all in fits.

Merlin smiled at Freya, who stood off in the background, a pitcher in her own hand. With a little help from Arthur, she had secured a position in the castle's kitchens. Merlin had figured out a way to break her curse, allowing her to remain in Camelot for as long as she wished, without worrying about hurting anyone. Freya turned to Gwen, whispering something to her. Gwen, who was already laughing at Arthur, began to laugh harder.

Even as Arthur scolded Merlin, they couldn't help but feel as if everything was right.

Merlin's magic was the best kept secret between the knights. That was he best gift he could ever have gotten. As Arthur dragged Merlin off to help him change out of his ruined clothes, the two felt content.

This was how it was supposed to be.

Merlin, at Arthur's side, serving him. Advising him.

It was destiny.

* * *

 **Okay, just the epilogue left! Yay! So, yeah, I know, that wasn't awesome. I'm not super great at happy endings.**

 **Also, I'm so sorry at how ridiculously long it took for me to post these last few things! I plan on writing a special acknowledgements thing and posting, because all of you amazing people who reviewed almost every chapter deserves recognition, but you can count this as completed after the epilogue.**

 **-InkFanatic**


	18. Epilogue

Merlin ran his fingers absently through Freya's hair as she leaned against his shoulder. The sound of children's laughter echoed down the halls of the castle.

"Elyan Pendragon!" A little girl's voice shrieked. "You give that back to me right now!" There was some laughter from a little boy, and more footsteps. Suddenly, the little boy squealed.

"Put me down, Maggie!" Arthur's son yelled. "You're not allowed to use your magic like that!"

"No!" The little girl replied. "Not until you give it back!"

"As the prince, I command you to put me down!" Elyan yelled back. Maggie's giggles could be heard from the room where her parents sat. The sound of another little girl joining them could be heard. Merlin sighed heavily as more sounds of fighting broke out

"I'll go deal with them." Freya said, slowly getting up. Merlin smiled at his wife as she left the room. He stared at the fire in silence as the sound of children being scolded could be heard.

He thought back to the past few years, about how different everything had become. There were many things that Merlin regretted doing, or not doing.

He regretted not being able to save Lancelot. The braved knight sacrificed himself by entering the veil. Merlin had tried to stop him, but Lancelot insisted that Merlin had an important role in Arthur's future.

He regretted not being able to save Uther. Not because he held any love for the king, but because Arthur did. Even with Arthur allowing Merlin to use magic, the charm that Agraviane had placed around the kings neck still did its work, reversing any healing Merlin attempted.

He regretted killing Morgana. Even after all she'd done, Merlin had once been friends with her. That alone hurt.

Merlin took a deep breath, just now realizing tears had begun to well up in his eyes. He wiped at them, instead focusing on the happy memories.

When Arthur became king, one of his first acts had been to legalize magic. Not long after he'd done this, a young man named Mordred had asked to join the knights of Camelot.

Guinevere became queen not long after Arthur was crowned king, the two were overjoyed to finally be together. They had been awaiting for this moment for years, and now they could finally live the rest of their lives out together.

Not too long after Gwen and Arthur were married, Freya and Merlin announced they were going to be proud parents. The two had been married since before Arthur's coronation, and the king and Queen were overjoyed at their friends news. Soon, Freya had given birth to a healthy baby girl, who they had named Margaret, or Maggie for short.

The day Gwen had announced she was expecting had been a hectic one. Arthur had nearly fainted, Merlin was nearly crushed by a king who almost fainted, and Freya celebrated with her friend. After nine long months, Guinevere gave birth to a pair of twins: Elyan, and Morgan. Elyan, in honor of Gwen's brother, and Morgan, in honor of the Morgana they had once known and loved.

Merlin smiled at his wife as she entered the room where her husband sat.

"What is my favorite Court Sorcerer thinking about?" She asked him, a smile dancing across her face. Merlin glanced up to see Arthur and Gwen pass by in the hall, laughing at something. Soon the children came bursting into the room, still arguing over a toy.

"Just about how I am the luckiest man in the world." Merlin said with a smile.

And indeed he was.

* * *

 **Aaaaaaa it's finally over!**

 **Thank you so much for all the kind reviews that I've gotten over these past few weeks; they really pushed me to be able to actually write this. You have no idea how much I've appreciated it! Sometimes I would go back and read them when I was dealing with writers block, and it helped so much.**

 **Goodbye for the final time,**

 **-InkFanatic**


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